Sweden and the 2030 Agenda — Report to the UN High Level Political Forum 2017 on Sustainable Development

Sweden

June 2017

Table of contents

Summary / p 4 1. Introduction / p 8

2. 4. Starting points for Institutional organisation Sweden's work with and national governance the 2030 Agenda / p 9 / p 14 3. 5. Sweden's starting position Goals and targets – for implementing preliminary results for the 2030 Agenda / p 11 Sweden in 2017 / p 16 6. 7. Current work in Sweden to Special themes implement the 2030 Agenda and Swedish / p 44 initiatives / p 76 8. The continued work / p 84 Summary

It is the Government’s ambition that Sweden will be a leader in implementing the 2030 Agenda – both at home and through contributing to its global implementation. This is the first report from the Swedish Government on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The report has been produced in a broad consultation process based on documentation and contributions from a large number of stakeholders in a variety of reference groups.

Sweden sees the 2030 Agenda and the global goals, the legally binding climate agreement concluded in Paris in December 2015, the outcome document from the International Conference on Financing for Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in July 2015, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 as coherent parts of the new global framework for sustainable development.

A starting point for Sweden is that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda involves a process of successive transformation and further development of Sweden’s societal model as a modern and sustainable welfare state, nationally and as part of the global system. This process must embrace everyone in Sweden, and no one is to be left behind.

Foundational to the work is a broad ownership for the 2030 Agenda among all actors in society, an ownership and a participation that develop and deepen over time. This shared commitment, built on knowledge and insight from the local to the national level, is a necessary foundation.

A linchpin of the Swedish societal model is a long tradition of cooperation and collaboration, both nationally and internationally. This is a much needed focus for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is about developing the partnership-driven processes with innovative thinking about strategic and operational steering. A number of stakeholder platforms and partnerships with a bearing on the Agenda have been created, primarily with and between the private sector, civil society, the research community and municipalities. Cross-sectoral partnerships, also international ones, are becoming increasingly important given how intertwined the Agenda’s goals and targets are.

Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda is achieved – as it shall continue to be – through decisions and measures in daily operations and through existing steering processes. Ordinary operations in the public sector, and in society as a whole, are to be permeated by the integrated thinking and approach to sustainable development constituted by the 2030 Agenda.

Sweden’s focus is on an equitable and sustainable global development. The Government pursues an ambitious policy coherence that gives a central place to the rights perspective and the perspective of poor people. The Policy for Global Development was adopted by the Riksdag (Parliament) in 2003 and has been applied with increasing strength since 2014. Solidarity is a foundation of the work. Gender equality and the full enjoyment of human rights by all

4 women and girls are a prerequisite for implementing the 2030 Agenda, in Sweden and throughout the world. Commitment at the local level is key. Since the 1970s, Sweden has extensive international development assistance that aims to contribute to the implementation of the Agenda.

Sweden has conducted extensive international development assistance since the 1970s, and since 2006 Sweden’s aid has amounted to about 1 per cent of GNI annually. In December 2016, the Government presented a new policy framework for Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian aid, based on the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals. Development cooperation is to function catalytically and contribute to creating conditions for greater financial flows, knowledge exchange and sustainable investments with broad participation. It also has an important function for financing areas that have difficulty in attracting its own resources.

The central process of making the 2030 Agenda an integral part of the Govern- ment Offices’ ordinary operations has commenced. It will be an important task to live up to the Swedish objectives with regard to implementing the Agenda.

Favourable starting position – and significant challenges

Sweden has a favourable starting position for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The peaceful and democratic conditions that have long characterised the country and that encompass a developed culture of collaboration between the different societal actors are essential, politically, economically and socially. An important reason why Sweden has a good starting position is that its economic development over time has been strong. This is rooted in a favour able business climate and a dynamic private sector with an international outlook and extensive trade relations. The social partners have been well organised and have had an explicit focus on finding solutions through negotiations. Democratic-political means have enabled Sweden to develop a welfare model with the ambition of guaranteeing all its people access to good health, schooling and education, a good environment, housing and employment. An active gender equality policy has helped to reduce the disparities between women and men in society. One of the political goals established by the Riksdag is that women and men are to have the same power to shape society and their own lives.

Since 2003, there has been a national public health policy adopted by the Riksdag covering eleven target areas. The overarching goal adopted for this policy is to create societal conditions for good health on equal terms for the entire population. The Health and Medical Services Act (2017:30) stipulates that care shall be delivered with respect to the equal value of all humans and the dignity of every individual. Since Autumn 2016, gender-equal health has become one of the targets of the overall gender equality policy in Sweden.

Sweden has had a system of national environmental objectives since the 1990s, with goals adopted by the Riksdag. The environmental objectives provide a structure and a tangible form for Sweden’s work with climate and the environment. Responsible authorities perform annual follow-up of the environmental objectives, and every four years there is a more extensive evaluation of

5 goal achievement. As of 2017, this follow-up is linked to the relevant goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. In 2010, the Government appointed the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Objectives, whose work is to continue until 2020 and which has a commission to submit proposals on how Sweden’s environmental objectives are to be achieved.

Commissioned by the Government, Statistics Sweden (SCB) in cooperation with a number of other Swedish authorities has prepared a comprehensive report that on the basis of existing data and statistics provides a first preliminary and systematic assessment per goal and target of how Sweden is currently living up to the 2030 Agenda. SCB presents more than 120 indicators, of which around 100 have an exact, partial or approximate correspondence with the global indicators. Of all the global indicators, SCB assesses that 49 indicators, that is 20 per cent of the total number, have already been met by Sweden.

Section 5 of this report from the Government provides an assessment for each global goal of its current status and of the challenges faced. The assessment is largely based on SCB’s report.

There are positive results in several areas, such as poverty and hunger, gender equality, education, health, water and infrastructure. As regards the climate goal, Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 25 per cent between 1990 and 2015. But the challenges are clear, for example, as regards finding methods to quickly and effectively contribute to low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development, both in Sweden and in other parts of the world. The same is true of the objectives for sustainable oceans and marine resources.

Sweden faces significant challenges regarding the goal of achieving sustainable consumption and production at home and outside Sweden. In Sweden, there are also a number of challenges related to inequality – reducing income disparities, including the differences in income between men and women for the same work, and increasing the disposable income of certain vulnerable groups, and achieving equity in health and equal opportunities for lifelong learning. People with disabilities, newly arrived immigrants, those born outside Europe and young people. Discrimination in the everyday life of various groups in society needs to be counteracted and prevented. Furthermore, there are still challenges in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Extensive work is in progress throughout Swedish society

Extensive work on the 2030 Agenda is in progress throughout Swedish society. Section 6 describes how many societal actors, besides the Government, the Parliament and the central government authorities, are active on many levels: local government; large, medium-sized and small enterprises within the private sector; the social partners; the diverse civil society organisations; and the research community.

A number of concrete and concise examples, representing only a small selection of what is being done, show how commitment and knowledge are increasing in Swedish society among and between various actors. A document specially compiled by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs contains examples and additional reports of

6 current work, albeit still only a selection of all the activities with a bearing on the 2030 Agenda.

Section 7 highlights some special themes and Swedish initiatives in the current work:

»» gender equality, women’s rights and feminist foreign policy, »» international climate support, »» the UN Ocean Conference 2017, »» the Global Deal initiative, »» innovation policy and special collaborative programmes, and »» initiatives against antibiotic resistance.

The continued work

The Government looks with confidence on the continued work in Sweden and internationally to implement the 2030 Agenda and contribute to the global sustainable development goals.

The Government intends to design an overarching and national action plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In March 2016, a national delegation was appointed whose commission included drafting a proposal for an action plan. This proposal was presented on 1 June 2017.

National indicators for all the targets in the 2030 Agenda and an integrated follow-up system are to be developed and adopted. Based on the nationally established indicators, it will be a delicate task to determine which quantitative or qualitative values and goals are to be achieved by 2030.

A particularly interesting and challenging task is to produce and adopt integrated indicators, taking into account the links between the various goals and targets. Existing follow-up systems and specified goals, such as the environmental objectives system, the public health targets and the new welfare metrics, yield great advantages that will be harnessed. These existing goals and processes are an important starting point for Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

When measures are planned and adopted to realise the 17 global goals in Sweden and internationally, conflicts of objectives and interests can be encountered. The Government views it as urgent to clearly identify potential or actual conflicts, in order to make informed trade-offs and choices when implementing the Agenda.

A linchpin of the Swedish societal model is a long tradition of cooperation and collaboration, both nationally and internationally. For Sweden, the work to further develop existing partnerships, and to promote and be part of new partnerships, not least of a cross-sectoral nature both in Sweden and internationally, will therefore be an important guiding principle in the coming years.

As an active partner, the Swedish Government will contribute at the international level – bilaterally, within the EU and in the UN system – in order to support and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris climate agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development.

7 1 Introduction

The Swedish Government views the 2030 Agenda and the 17 sustainable development goals as an overarching and forward-looking commitment that Sweden is to be guided by. The concept of sustainable development is central and aims at a development that meets the needs of the present without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The Swedish Government also views the 2030 Agenda as a dynamic framework that opens up new global opportunities for all societies and stakeholders, both nationally and internationally. It is an agenda for a common and long-term sustainable environmental, social and economic development, linked to fighting poverty and hunger and inequality within and between countries, in order to build peaceful, fair and inclusive societies. Human rights are to be realised, gender equality achieved and the empowerment of women and girls promoted. The long-term protection of the planet and its natural resources is to be safeguarded.

The voluntary commitment of all states to the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals renews hope for the future of all, especially with regard to children, young people and the world’s generations yet unborn.

It is the Government’s ambition that Sweden will be a leader in implementing the 2030 Agenda – both at home and through contributing to its global implementation.

Sweden is to be an active and constructive partner in the joint international work to implement the 2030 Agenda. Today, multilateral cooperation is perhaps more important than ever in the modern era.

In September 2015, Sweden’s Prime Minister took the initiative to form an informal political high level group consisting of the heads of state and government from Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia and Sweden, in order to make sure that the 2030 Agenda is high on the international political agenda.

This first report from the Government to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) presents Sweden’s domestic and international work to implement the 2030 Agenda. The report also presents the Government’s preliminary assessment of how Sweden in 2017 is living up to the global goals and targets. The assessment shows that there are several positive results and strengths – and a number of important challenges for Sweden in its continued work until 2030.

The report has been produced in a broad consultation process based on documentation and contributions from a large number of stakeholders in a variety of reference groups.

8 2 Starting points for Sweden’s work with the 2030 Agenda

A starting point is that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda involves a process of successive transformation and further development of Sweden’s societal model as a modern and sustainable welfare state, at home and as part of the global system. This process is to consistently take into account all relevant sectors and perspectives. Everyone in Sweden is to be involved, and no one is to be left behind.

Essential to the work is a broad ownership and participation among all stakeholders and actors in society that develop and deepen over time. This shared commitment, built on knowledge and insight from the local to the national level, is a necessary foundation.

An effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development takes place through decisions and measures in daily operations and in existing steering processes. Ordinary operations in the public sector, and in society as a whole, are to be permeated by the integrated thinking and approach to sustainable development constituted by the Agenda. Coherence for an equitable and sustainable development – horizontally between policy areas and vertically from the global to the local level, and from goal formulation to implementation – is to be strengthened in all dimensions. Innovative and forward-looking norm-setting will support the implementation of the Agenda.

Sweden will continue to build broad and innovative partnerships that include the whole of society. The partnership between the public sector and the private sector will be vitalised and deepened. The partnership between the public sector and civil society organisations is to be characterised by openness and innovation. The Swedish labour market model is based on a division of responsibility between the government and the social partners. The partnership between national, regional and local actors is strengthened. A particular focus is placed on mutual learning and joint action. The global goals are to be realised locally – throughout Sweden.

9 In its international commitment, Sweden pursues greater cooperation and new partnerships between countries, the private sector, the social partners, civil society organisations and the knowledge society, in various parts of the world. Sweden’s focus and contributions are on an equitable and global sustainable development. Solidarity is a basis of the work. A guiding principle is thinking globally and acting locally. Commitment at the local level is key. Sweden has a societal model where municipalities and county councils, on the basis of self-government, are responsible for large parts of public services.

The deepened cooperation between all stakeholders will be needed to implement the 2030 Agenda and reinforces the values and cohesion of Swedish society. This in turn increases Sweden’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a knowledge and innovation nation, which also strengthens Sweden’s capacity to contribute globally.

The partnership-driven process in implementing the 2030 Agenda will be developed with innovative thinking about strategic and operational governance. This is a key both to the strengthening of institutional capacity and inclination to change and to the effective mobilisation and utilisation of Sweden’s societal resources in the public, private and non-governmental sectors.

10 3 Sweden’s starting position for implementing the 2030 Agenda

Sweden has a favourable starting position for the implementation of the 2030 1 Kroll, Christian (2015): Sustainable Development Agenda. A number of independent international analyses1 confirm this. At the Goals: Are the rich countries ready? Gütersloh. same time, these studies point to Sweden facing important challenges2. Bertelsmann Stiftung; Weitz, Nina, et.al (2015): Sustainable Development Goals for Sweden: Insights A number of factors have combined to contribute to Sweden’s high ranking in on Setting a National Agenda. Stockholm. Stockholm international comparisons. The peaceful and democratic conditions that have Environment Institute; Sachs, Jeffrey, et al. (2016): long characterised the country and that encompass a developed culture of col- Preliminary Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) laboration between the different societal actors are politically, economically Index and Dashboard.SDSN; OECD (2016): and socially foundational. Another significant factor for Sweden having a Measuring Distance to the SDGs Targets. A pilot as- good starting position is that its economic development over time has been sessment of where OECD countries stand. Paris.OECD; strong. This is rooted in a favourable business climate and a dynamic private Halonen, Mikko, et.al. (2017): Nordic sector with an international outlook and extensive trade relations. The social implementation of the Global Agenda 2030 for partners have been well organised and had an explicit focus on finding solutions Sustainable Development.Gaia Consulting and through negotiations. Democratic-political means have enabled Sweden to Stockholm Environment Institute. develop a welfare model with the ambition and capacity to guarantee all its people conditions for good health and access to schooling and education, a good 2 Examples that one study, Weitz et.al (2015), gives of environment, housing and employment. An active gender equality policy has areas in which Sweden faces challenges are helped to reduce the disparities between women and men in society. education, employment, equality, consumption, climate, and oceans and marine resources. On top of this must be added that Sweden, since the 1990s and the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, has worked 3 The action plan Agenda 21 was adopted at the UN actively with sustainability issues at both the local and national levels, among Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de other things by implementing the Agenda 21 action programme3. Sweden’s first Janeiro in 1992. national sustainable development strategy was adopted by the Riksdag in 2002. This was a step in the work of integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The same year saw the introduction in the Swedish Constitution of a provision that the public institutions shall promote sustainable development leading to a good environment for present and future generations (Chapter 1, Article 2 of the Instrument of Government).

At the end of 2003, the Riksdag adopted a Swedish policy for an equitable and sustainable global development that encompasses all policy areas (Policy for Global Development, PGU). PGU underlines that coherence between the various policy areas is needed in order to promote a sustainable development that gives a central place to the rights perspective and the perspective of poor people.

11 The first national sustainable development strategy from 2002 was followed by revisions and expansions in 2004 and 2006. From 2003 onwards, Sweden has had various functions at the government level to promote the work towards sustainability.

Already in 1991, the Riksdag adopted goals for environment policy, which in 1999 took the form of today’s environmental quality objectives. These give tangible form to the environmental dimension of sustainable development.

In 2010, the Government appointed the Parliamentary Committee on Environ- 4 ToR 2010:74. mental Objectives4, which will work until 2020 with a commission to submit proposals on how Sweden’s environmental objectives and generational goal are to be achieved. The environmental objectives correspond to many of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. Government authorities report annually on the achievement of the national environmental objectives.

There is also a series of other policy areas, with goals related to the 2030 Agenda, such as transport policy goals for traffic safety. Goals of this kind are also found among the Agenda’s global goals.

Before and during the international negotiations on the 2030 Agenda, there was extensive dialogue in Sweden with representatives of civil society, the private sector, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), central government authorities and other non-governmental stakeholders. Representatives of these stakeholders were also part of the official Swedish delegation to the UN negotiations. This inclusive working method has given the initial work on the 2030 Agenda a strong foundation in society.

The Government sees the 2030 Agenda, the legally binding climate agreement concluded in Paris in December 2015, the outcome document from the Interna- tional Conference on Financing for Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in July 2015, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 as coherent parts of the new global framework for sustainable development.

For the Government, the Policy for Global Development (PGU) and the work with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda are important tools and means for implementing the 2030 Agenda, both at home and through Sweden’s contribution to the global implementation of the Agenda. The Policy for Global Development is central to contributing to the achievement of the global goals. A coherent approach is needed at all stages, from policy design to actual implementation.

The outcome document from Addis Ababa is an integrated, tangible and operationally focused framework for mobilising financial resources, technology and partnerships for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda links directly to Goal 17 on implementation and global partnership of the 2030 Agenda. Sweden has presented a detailed report, Towards Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals: Report on the Imple- mentation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, to the Financing for Development Forum in May 2017 in New York. The report’s many examples demonstrate how the framework is becoming an engine for implementing the 2030 Agenda. Gender equality budgeting is a strategic tool for this.

12 A review of Swedish development cooperation from the OECD in 2016 presents Sweden as a global leader in the area of development with a strong engagement for the 2030 Agenda. The OECD notes that Sweden is actively involved in designing the development agenda at the global level and continues to be one of the most generous donor countries.

In summary, Sweden both has a favourable starting position and faces important challenges. The Government sees both these conditions as driving forces for Sweden and Swedish stakeholders in their continued work to implement the 2030 Agenda at home and to contribute internationally to the global realisation of the Agenda’s 17 goals.

13 4 Institutional organisation and national governance

The Riksdag and the Government adopt both indicative and binding decisions that affect the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Swedish society and for Sweden’s contributions to the global implementation of the Agenda. A prerequisite for an adequate and coherent implementation is that it takes place at all levels of public administration, based on both a horizontal and vertical perspective. Besides knowledge and commitment, this presupposes a steering on the part of the Government that combines ordinary preparation and decision-making processes with an overarching and integrated perspective that has a consistent starting point in the Agenda and the 17 global goals.

The Government

The Government is collectively responsible for implementing the 2030 Agenda. The issues are prepared by the ministries based on each minister’s area of responsibility. In addition to this, two ministers have a special overarching responsibility. The Minister for Public Administration is responsible for coordinating and promoting the implementation of the Agenda nationally in Sweden. The Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate leads the work with Sweden’s contributions to international implementation through the Policy for Global Development and Swedish development cooperation.

Immediately under the ministers, there is a smaller consultation group for the 2030 Agenda with state secretaries from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy and the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.

The Government Offices has an inter-ministerial working group for the 2030 Agenda, in which all ministries participate.

The Riksdag

The Riksdag’s decisions in various areas are decisive to the opportunities for implementing the 2030 Agenda. In the Riksdag, it is primarily the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Finance which handle the 2030 Agenda issues on a more general level. However, in view of the comprehensiveness of the Agenda and the sustainable development goals, virtually all the committees will in practice be concerned by and involved in their implementation.

The Delegation for the 2030 Agenda

In March 2016, the Government appointed a national delegation with a commission to support and stimulate the work with Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda, both nationally and internationally. On 1 June 2017, the delegation presented its proposals for an action plan and an overview of the extent to which Sweden is fulfilling goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. The delegation is also tasked with anchoring the Agenda and the 17 goals and with conducting a broad dialogue on sustainable development with authorities, county councils and municipalities, the social partners, the private sector, civil society and the research community. The delegation is also to promote the exchange of information and knowledge between these stakeholders and relevant international actors. The delegation consists of seven members, one of whom is the chair. The members have broad experience and knowledge from different parts of society. The delegation also has a secretariat attached to it.

The Scientific Council for Sustainable Development

In July 2015, the Government decided to establish the Scientific Council for Sustainable Development. The council includes a panel of prominent researchers representing different multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches. The council’s tasks are to be an arena for dialogue between the Government and the scientific community and to help provide sustainable development policy with as solid a scientific basis as possible.The council adopts a dynamic system perspective on sustainable development, based on scientifically verified knowledge.

Other central government authorities

Many of Sweden’s central government authorities perform daily operations with a direct bearing on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. These authorities are steered, inter alia, through acts and ordinances, the authorities’ instructions, appropriation directions, special government decisions, and through follow-up and dialogues.

Municipalities and county councils

The municipalities and county councils are responsible for several vital societal functions at the local and regional levels which affect the lives, living conditions and health of the population and its opportunity to live on equal terms. Some of these functions are regulated in legislation and are mandatory, while others are voluntary. To a great extent, the political decisions in municipalities and county councils have a bearing on important parts of the 2030 Agenda. The municipalities also play a significant role in and for collaboration with the local business community and civil society organisations.

15 5 Goals and targets – preliminary results for Sweden in 2017

The systematic follow-up of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is an important and integral part of the Agenda’s actual implementation in order to achieve the sustainable development goals. Commissioned by the Government, Statistics Sweden (SCB) in cooperation with a large number of statistical authorities, has prepared a first report covering the 17 goals, 169 targets and 232 unique indicators 5 SCB (2017): Statistisk uppföljning av in the light of existing data and statistics for Sweden5. Agenda 2030. The report provides a picture of how Sweden is living up to the different goals and targets around year 2015 and of the important challenges that lie ahead.

The report presents approximately 120 indicators, of which around 100 have an exact, partial or approximate correspondence with the global indicators. SCB ass 6 This includes indicators that are not assessed esses that Sweden already fulfils 49 indicators, that is 20 per cent of all indicators6. relevant to follow up nationally, such as access to soap and water for handwashing. The report points to the need for continued work to produce statistical data for a number of indicators7 that currently lack data and to also determine which proxy 7 A proxy indicator is a closely related indicators may be needed. Also remaining is a more precise quantitative and/or alternative indicator. qualitative determination of Sweden’s ambitions and goals/values for the Agenda’s goals and targets so that the annual follow-up of the implementation will be valuable and provide a solid foundation of knowledge to stand on. Only in this way can objective public debate and considerations of measures be developed to promote further implementation.

The Swedish statistics are often based on records covering Sweden’s officially registered population. As a result, there is both over-representation and under- representation in relation to the population actually resident in the country. Over-representation primarily relates to persons who have emigrated from Sweden without notifying the national registration authority. The latest estimates assess that over-representation is approximately 0.6 per cent of the officially registered population, with a slightly higher proportion for those born abroad than for those born in Sweden. The largest group not included in the registered population is asylum seekers who are in Sweden. At the turn of the year 2016/2017, these numbered just over 100 000 people, which corresponded to approximately one per cent of the registered population. 8 Other supporting and working materials from various government authorities have been Primarily based on SCB’s report8, the following provides a first brief and prelimi- observed, including material from nary picture of Sweden’s fulfilment of, and a number of challenges for achieving, the delegation for the 2030 Agenda. each of the 17 global goals.

16 17 Goal 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Sweden lives up to most of the targets, globally speaking. Sweden does well in international comparison, with a high standard of living and a well-developed welfare system.

The Instrument of Government stipulates, inter alia, that the public institutions are to work for all citizens to be able to attain participation and equality in society and counteract discrimination on grounds such as gender, ethnicity, religion or other belief, functional disability, sexual orientation or age. This means that Sweden has the structural functions required by the goal.

9 Persons who have an income below USD 1.25 per Absolute poverty9 does not exist in Sweden today. In that sense, poverty has day are deemed to live in absolute poverty. been eliminated, but there are great economic differences in society. Parts of the population have scant financial resources in comparison with the average.

Sweden has no national definition of poverty. A frequently used EU measure is the proportion of the population that has a disposable income lower than 60 per cent of the national median income. In Sweden, 15 per cent of the population is below this threshold. In recent years, disposable income has increased within all groups of society, but to a lesser degree among those with lower incomes, which means that income disparities have become greater. On average, women have lower salaries than men. This pay gap is largely due to the fact that the labour market is characterised by a gender segregation. Women are over-repre- sented in professions with positions that offer lower wages. Poverty in the sense of a low disposable income occurs to the highest degree among women over the age of 65, single women with children, people with disabilities and persons born outside Sweden.

For everyone living or working in Sweden, public social insurance protection creates security and counteracts economic vulnerability. A fundamental ambition is to create conditions for all children to grow up on equal terms, to increase gender equality and to promote social cohesion and economic growth.

Poverty reduction is an overarching goal for Swedish international development cooperation. Interventions in this area are based on a multidimensional concept of poverty. Since 1975, Sweden’s aid has met or exceeded the UN goal that at least 0.7 per cent of annual GNI shall go to aid. Sweden’s own goal is to allocate 1 per cent of GNI to development cooperation, and since 2006 Sweden’s aid has amounted to about 1 per cent of GNI.

18 Among the challenges are the reduction of income disparities in Sweden, including the differences in income between women and men, and increasing the disposable income of certain vulnerable groups, such as children and adults in families with scant income, people with disabilities and of the many newly arrived immigrants who have come to Sweden in recent years. Goal 10 about reduced inequality is also relevant in Sweden. Goal 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Access to food is good in Sweden. Hunger is among the exceptions. Although there are no exact figures, the occurrence of malnutrition in children is marginal. Very few children in Sweden suffer from growth retardation due to malnutrition. Data instead points to an increase in overweight and obesity in society over the past decade. This increase is tangible in the age group 16-29 years. More than half of all adults in Sweden are overweight or obese. However, there are elderly people who suffer from malnutrition. There are differences and inequalities in eating habits and health that are closely associated with socio-economic situation, educational level and income.

Swedish agriculture is not small-scale. Data shows an increasing productivity in Swedish agriculture. Sweden’s production value per annual full-time equivalent has increased in total over the past decade. Employment in the agricultural sector, measured as the number of full-time equivalents in the sector, has fallen continuously over a long period of time. At the same time greenhouse gas emissions per unit produced has decreased. Swedish animal production has a low use of antibiotics.

The production capacity of Swedish farmland is assessed to be good. The status of the ecosystem services of cultivated land is assessed to be satisfactory today. The commitment regarding a sustainable agricultural area lacks an agreed definition. If the proportion of organically cultivated area, which however does not have a globally accepted definition, is used as an alternative indicator, this area has continuously increased in Sweden since 2005.

According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s 2017 follow-up of Sweden’s environmental objective “A Varied Agricultural Landscape”, which includes the preservation and strengthening of biodiversity, the development is negative. Existing and adopted policy instruments are considered insufficient. According to compilations by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, just over 60 per cent of the local breeds are at risk in Sweden.

19 The Programme for Diversity of Cultivated Plants (POM) has collected seeds and other older varieties throughout Sweden. The seeds are preserved in the Nordic Gene Bank. POM reintroduces old cultivated plants on the market. The Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, which works with projects supporting the conservation of genetic resources in developing countries, is supported by Swedish development cooperation.

Swedish development cooperation is to contribute to responsible investments for increased productivity and sustainability in agriculture (including forestry) and for sustainable fisheries. Women have a central role for food security, and interventions to ensure women’s rights to own, utilise and inherit land and other natural resources constitute an important area for Swedish development cooperation. In 2015, approximately SEK 803 million of the total Swedish aid went to agricultural interventions in various parts of the world.

Sweden’s challenges regarding Goal 2 include tackling the population’s increasing overweight and obesity, ensuring environmental sustainability and biodiversity in agriculture and strengthening all sustainability dimensions in the entire food chain. Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

In global comparison, Sweden generally has good results for almost all the targets included in this goal. Since 2003, there has been a national public health policy adopted by the Riksdag covering eleven target areas. The overarching goal adopted is to create societal conditions for good health on equal terms for the entire population. The Health and Medical Services Act (2017:30) stipulates that care shall be delivered with respect to the equal value of all humans and the dignity of every individual. The person with the greatest need for health care shall be given priority by the health services. In 2015, the average life expectancy for women was 84 years and for men 80.4. In recent years, there has been a slight upward trend in the life expectancy of both women and men. The remaining number of years at the age of 30 is increasing for the population as a whole, but is several years greater in the group with post-secondary education than in the group with pre-secondary education. This is true of both women and men. These differences have increased over the past ten years.

The Government has made several, extensive efforts to raise the quality of elderly care, increase security for the elderly and to improve the conditions for a gender-equal, equitable and equivalent care in the entire country. Expanded protection against age discrimination entered into force in 2013.

20 Sweden’s maternal mortality ratio has long met the target of less than 70 deaths per 100 000 live births. In 2015, one woman died in connection with pregnancy or childbirth. Under-5 mortality has long been under five per 1 000 live births, which means that Sweden meets the global target of less than 12 deaths, within 28 days, per 1 000 live births.

There are structural differences in care and treatment between women and men in the healthcare system. The Government is therefore making several major investments to strengthen women’s health and develop the care that is specifically aimed at women, including midwifery.

In 2015, 450 cases of HIV infection were reported in Sweden. Over the last five years, the level has been an average of 455 new cases annually. Of these, about 80 per cent are foreign-born persons, of whom a large proportion had the infection before their arrival in Sweden. Today, approximately 74 persons per 100 000 inhabitants (approximately 0.07 per cent) have HIV, which is among the lowest rates in Europe. Just over 7 000 people are living with diagnosed HIV infection. Since 2005, Sweden has had a national strategy on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Sweden is the first country in the world to have achieved 10 This target means that at least 90 per cent of one of the UN targets for HIV, the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target10. those living with HIV will know their HIV status, that 90 per cent of them will receive effective In 2015, the incidence of tuberculosis per 100 000 inhabitants was 10 for men medical treatment and that 90 per cent will and 7 for women. This was an increase compared with the previous year, which achieve radically reduced virus levels. is not surprising given that about 90 per cent of those who have tuberculosis in Sweden were infected in another country and as immigration rose markedly in 2015. The incidence of hepatitis B has increased over the past decade and was at 21.5 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2015. Most of these had been infected abroad.

Cardiovascular diseases and tumours accounted for 61 per cent of deaths in 2015 and have long been the two most common causes of death in the case of diseases. There is a decreasing trend for both categories. The death rate due to cardiovascular diseases has decreased by 55 per cent since 1987 and by 13 per cent for tumours. There are socio-economic differences in onset and mortality for the major endemic diseases, which are generally more common in people with a lower level of education.

Since the mid-1990s, suicide rates have decreased in all age groups except the group 15-24, in which the number of cases has increased somewhat. Suicides have decreased fastest among the oldest, especially among men, and the differences between age groups have decreased. Among women, suicide is most common in the age group 45-64, and among men in the group 65+ (measured as the number of deaths per 100 000 persons). In 2015, suicide mortality in Sweden was 12 per 100 000 persons.

As regards the risky use of alcohol, consumption per capita in 2014 and 2015 was at a relatively stable level of just over 9 litres of pure alcohol per inhabitant aged 15 and older. Between 2005 and 2015, the total consumption of alcohol in the country decreased by 11 per cent. Alcohol-related mortality also decreased 11 National Board of Health and Welfare (2016): over the same period11. Sweden has a comprehensive strategy for alcohol, narco- Statistik om dödsorsaker år 2015. tics, doping and tobacco policy 2016–2020.

21 The proportion of people who smoke tobacco daily decreased over the period 2004-2015. In 2015, 11 per cent of women and 9 per cent of men smoked daily. Daily smoking is most common among the late middle-aged (13 per cent among 45-64-year-olds). The proportion of smokers decreased in all but the oldest age group.

The number of deaths in road traffic accidents was 270 in 2016, which corresponded to approximately 2.8 persons per 100 000 inhabitants. Of those killed in 2016, 76 per cent were men and 24 per cent women. For 2016, the number of people seriously injured is calculated to have been approximately 4 500. Through its Vision Zero initiative, Sweden adopted an approach that has attracted international interest and led to a great demand for Swedish knowledge and experience. However, the positive development in traffic safety has stagnated since 2010.

The number of children born to mothers aged 15-19 has halved since 1990. However, in the past 15 years, the proportion has been at a relatively constant level of around 6 births per 1 000 women aged 15-19.

In 2015, Swedish development cooperation to medical studies and primary health care amounted to approximately SEK 538 million. At the same time, as part of its development cooperation, Sweden is working to draw greater attention to non-infectious diseases, internationally and in national health programmes. Sweden also acts to prioritise financial support for child and maternal care and for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Increasing antibiotic resistance is a major and growing health risk and challenge globally. Sweden has a national strategy to combat such resistance (see Section 7).

The challenges for Sweden lie in taking measures for health equity, including the reduction of disparities in health and well-being between different groups in society and improving quick and equal access to healthcare for all who are in need of it. Furthermore, unhealthy eating habits is one of the greatest risk factors for ill-health and premature death in Sweden. There are also particular challenges regarding differences in both mental and physical health between different groups of the population, mainly between people with different levels of education and depending on gender. Furthermore, there are differences regarding these factors between LGBT persons, people with disabilities, foreign-born persons, national minorities and indigenous peoples, and the population as a 12 SOU 2016:55. whole12. The Government’s goal is to eliminate avoidable health inequalities within a generation. The Commission for Equity in Health was appointed in 2015 with the task of producing proposals that might contribute to the reduction of health disparities in society. A gender equality perspective is to be observed in the Commission’s work.

22 Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Sweden has a well-developed educational system for children, young people and adults. This is partly reflected by the fact that more than 70 per cent of the adult population participate in some form of education during a 12-month period. Primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school is free of charge, and attendance at primary and lower secondary school is compulsory. Post- secondary education is also free of charge. Access to university and university college studies, without an upper age limit, creates a lifelong opportunity for higher education. The level of education in Sweden is high and has risen sharply in recent years. About half the population aged 25-64 has upper secondary education as their highest level of education.

The Education Act (2010:800) prescribes that everyone is to have equal access to education in the school system, irrespective of geographic residence and social and economic conditions. Education in schools is to be equivalent. The main task is to provide all students with sufficient knowledge in order to manage future studies and working life. For students with certain disabilities and who find it difficult to participate in ordinary teaching, other types of school are available. In a global perspective, most goals may be considered fulfilled.

However, there are important challenges nationally. These include the fact that all students should have the same opportunities for learning regardless of conditions and background. International measurements of knowledge in Swedish and mathematics showed a downward trend in the results of Swedish 15-year-olds between 2006 and 2012. However, this downward trend was broken in 2015 when the results improved somewhat. An international measurement of adults’ basic skills in literacy, numeracy and problem solving with the help of a computer or internet, showed that Sweden does well in comparison with other participating countries. However, there were great differences within the population in Sweden between, for example, those with low and high levels of education. Boys generally achieve poorer school results than girls. At the same time, girls and young women, who generally achieve better school results, experience mental ill-health to a greater extent than boys and young men. This constitutes two important challenges.

In summary, the challenges include increasing the equivalence of schools, increasing the number of qualified teachers, improving the quality of teaching, raising the level of learning outcomes and ensuring that education and learning environments are accessible and are able to include all students on the basis of their needs and conditions.

23 Sweden’s development cooperation adopts a holistic approach to learning with a focus on national education systems, including teacher training of good quality. In this cooperation, Sweden is to promote an equivalent and inclusive education of good quality at all levels, for all people and throughout life. Par- ticular attention is given to education in conflict and post-conflict situations and in humanitarian crises, where women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Swedish support in the area will continue to have a significant focus on gender equality and equality. Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Explicit legislation and the work for gender equality long conducted by many actors, both central government actors and civil society organisations, have led to advances meaning that Sweden exhibits a high degree of gender equality, especially in international comparisons. Since 1994, Sweden has required that official statistics related to individuals shall be disaggregated by sex, unless there are special reasons for not doing so. In 2006, the Riksdag established a political goal that women and men are to have the same power to shape society and their own lives. This objective is in turn divided into six targets. The Government has also recently decided to establish a national gender equality agency, which is to commence its activities in January 2018.

The Government has formulated an explicitly feminist policy entailing that gender equality shall play a decisive role in the setting of priorities, both nationally and internationally. At the national level, six targets have been identified for the work: Equal distribution of power and influence; Economic gender equality; Gender-equal education; Equal distribution of unpaid care and household work; Gender-equal health; and An end to men’s violence against women.

Since the 1994 elections, the gender distribution of the Riksdag has been relatively even, and the same is generally true at the local and regional levels for elected representatives in municipalities and county councils. The representation of women, however, has fallen in the two most recent parliamentary elections.

In working life, the employment rate for women as a whole in Sweden is 78 per cent, which is the highest in the EU. However, women work part-time to a greater extent than men and have lower wages than men. On average, women’s wages are 87.5 per cent of men’s wages. In 2010 and 2011, women spent an average of

24 16 per cent of the day’s hours on unpaid care and household work; for men, the corresponding proportion was just under 13 per cent. In 2015, 38 per cent of all managers in working life were women, and 62 per cent were men. In the boards of central government authorities, the proportion of women is now approximately 50 per cent. In the boards of publicly listed companies, the proportion of women is 32 per cent.

In 2016, the Government presented a ten-year national strategy to prevent and combat men’s violence against women, which is most common in the home and within the family, in all social classes and age groups. A number of authorities have been assigned special tasks linked to this issue.

Equality between women and men is a fundamental objective for Sweden’s foreign policy. A dedicated feminist foreign policy has been adopted. It aims to strengthen women’s rights, representation and access to resources. Gender mainstreaming is consistently applied in all Swedish development cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral.

Sweden fulfils some of the targets linked with the implementation of Goal 5. But a number of challenges remain for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. These include effectively combating all discrimination against women in society, eliminating disparities in salaries 13 An intersectional perspective entails the use and employment rates between women and men, ensuring that unpaid care and of knowledge and analytical methods regarding household work is more evenly distributed by improving the conditions for how people’s conditions and opportunities are gender-equal parenting, and preventing men’s violence against women, affected by different power structures that are including violence and oppression in the name of honour. An important step for based on categories such as socio-economic achieving gender equality on the labour market is also to reduce the differences background, ethnicity, functional ability, age, in how women and men use parental insurance. Systematic work with gender sexual orientation and gender identity and mainstreaming in all processes and at all levels is a prerequisite for achieving gender expression. gender equality. In order to achieve the goals set, this work needs to be characterised by an intersectional perspective13. Goal 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Access to clean water and sanitation is largely met for all inhabitants in Sweden. With regard to the global indicators, the preliminary assessment can be made that Sweden fulfils the targets. Legislation and directives adequately cover most areas included by the goal.

However, there are several challenges, for example in areas where the drinking water supply might at times be threatened due to low groundwater levels. As a whole, the withdrawal of freshwater as a proportion of available renewable water

25 resources is low (1.4 per cent in 2010), but regional data would provide a more differentiated view. In the Swedish environmental objectives system, the 2017 follow-up of the environmental quality objective Good-Quality Groundwater shows that there is a need to increase the protection of groundwater resources. Efforts are needed, for example, to reduce pollution due to chemicals, medicines 14 The Ramsar Convention is a global environ- and nutrients. mental protection convention for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and aquatic en- Internationally, Sweden contributes through special development cooperation vironments. The Convention was signed in 1971, interventions to improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, espe- entered into force in 1975 and is the first modern cially for women and children. Sweden also helps to protect the world’s natural convention in the area of environmental protec- wetlands and aquatic environments through membership in the Ramsar Conven- tion. In March 2017, 169 countries had acceded to tion14. In 2015, development cooperation to water and sanitation interventions the Convention. amounted to approximately SEK 790 million. Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Access to energy is good in Sweden and is largely not a problem. The energy issue has a link to several of Sweden’s environmental objectives, including the environmental quality objectives Clean Air, Reduced Climate Impact and A Good Built Environment. Sweden has the highest proportion of final renewable energy use in the EU. The proportion was 53 per cent in 2014, which is to be compared with 40 per cent in 2005 and the EU average of 16 per cent in 2014. However, there are tangible differences between different sectors. Energy inten- 15 Energy intensity is the ratio of energy sity15 has been successively decreasing in Sweden for many years. Sweden has supplied per unit of GDP in fixed prices and is the goal of reducing this intensity by 20 per cent from 2008 to 2020. Between expressed as Wh/SEK in 2009's monetary value. 2008 and 2014, energy intensity decreased by 10 per cent. The ratio shows how efficient energy use is in the economy. In 2016, the Swedish Energy Policy Commission submitted proposals for new and stricter targets for Sweden in certain areas. The Commission proposes that the target should be that electricity generation shall consist entirely of renewable energy in 2040 and that energy efficiency shall be 50 per cent higher in 2030 than in 2005 in terms of energy supplied in relation to GDP.

As part of its international development cooperation, Sweden provides support for interventions in developing countries in order to promote cost-effective, renewable and low-carbon energy solutions. Support for interventions in the energy sector that had emissions reduction as a principal objective amounted to approximately SEK 129 million in 2015. Support for interventions in the energy sector that had emissions reduction as a significant objective amounted to approximately SEK 495 million in the same year.

26 The major challenge for Sweden with regard to the use of renewable energy is the transport sector. In an international perspective, Sweden already has a high proportion of renewable energy in the transport sector, but further measures are needed, such as a greater introduction of electric vehicles, greater use of bio fuels and societal planning that makes transport more effective. Goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent working conditions for all

Sweden has long been striving to achieve many of the targets encompassed by Goal 8. GDP growth in 2015 was 3 per cent per capita. The average hourly wage for women was SEK 172 in 2015 and for men SEK 196 in the same year. The informal sector in Sweden, excluding agriculture, amounted to 3.9 per cent of total wage payments.

Unemployment, calculated according to UN metadata requirements, was 7.5 per cent in 2015 for persons aged 16-64. For men, the proportion was 7.7 per cent and for women 7.3 per cent. The proportion of young people aged 15-24 who neither work nor study was 6.7 per cent in 2015.

In 2015, 34 fatal occupational injuries occurred, 32 of which were suffered by men and 2 by women. In the same year, the number of non-fatal occupational injuries reported was 31 773, of which 57 per cent affected men and 43 per cent women.

Sweden has ratified 93 of the ILO conventions and three protocols. The eight fundamental and the four governance conventions have been ratified.

The indicator for the material footprint measures the global impact of a society’s use of materials, including imports. According to the model’s calculation, Sweden’s material footprint increased between 1990 and 2010.

Internationally, Sweden acts bilaterally and multilaterally through trade policy, promotion and development cooperation in order to contribute to the fulfilment of Goal 8. With contributions of approximately SEK 2.77 billion in 2015, Sweden is an important actor within the international Aid for Trade initiative. This aims to strengthen the opportunities of developing countries to benefit from international trade through support for infrastructure, productive capacity and for trade policy and rules.

27 Sweden’s development cooperation supports the capacity of low and middle- income countries to develop institutions and systems so that these will make an effective contribution to a sustainable and inclusive development. This includes strengthening the conditions for dynamic and sustainable business and productive employment, with decent work.

Sweden is active in the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda. In collaboration with other countries, the ILO and the OECD, Sweden has also initiated Global Deal with the international objective of using enhanced joint dialogue between all relevant parties on the labour market to promote the creation of decent jobs and an inclusive growth (see Section 7).

Sweden faces several challenges. These include, for example, reducing differences and disparities on the labour market, including differences in pay between women and men. Persons with a disability, newly arrived immigrants, those born outside Europe and certain older people and young people have greater difficulty than others in establishing themselves on the labour market. Furthermore, the women and men who lack a complete upper secondary education have a greater risk of being affected by long-term unemployment, regardless of background and other conditions. Goal 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

In a global perspective, access to transport infrastructure for people and cargo is good in Sweden. The overarching goal of transport policy is to ensure an economically efficient and long-term sustainable transport supply for individuals and the private sector throughout the country. The trend is that transport is bearing its own economic costs to a greater extent than before. Greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport constitute about a third of the total emissions in Sweden. Domestic emissions from the transport sector have been decreasing for several years, in part through a greater use of bio- fuels and improved energy efficiency in road traffic. Men drive cars almost 80 per cent more than women, but travel less as car passengers than women. Men also travel by regional public transport just over 10 per cent less than women. Men and women have roughly the same extent of transport on foot or by bicycle.

28 In 2015, the added value of the manufacturing industry constituted 14.8 per cent of GDP, corresponding to approximately SEK 59 000 per capita. In the same year, the number of people employed in the manufacturing industry was 501 000. With the additional inclusion of suppliers of services and other input goods for industry, it is estimated that one million Swedes are dependent on industry for their employment. The proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises of the manufacturing industry’s added value is calculated to have been 38 per cent in 2015.

The indicator for carbon dioxide emissions per unit of added value in the Swedish economy measures carbon dioxide intensity. A decreasing intensity means that emissions per unit produced is decreasing. Since 2010, emission intensity in Sweden has had a decreasing trend. Overall, emissions have decreased at the same time as the economy has grown.

Sweden’s research and development expenditure was SEK 137 billion in 2015, which corresponds to 3.28 per cent of GDP. The private sector accounted for almost 70 per cent, the higher education sector, which is mostly publicly financed, for 27 per cent and the remaining public sector for a further 3 per cent of this amount. Research and development in the private non-profit sector accounted for less than one per cent of the total expenditure.

In 2016, the Government presented an infrastructure bill for 2018-2029, Infra- structure for the future – innovative solutions for strengthened competitiveness 16 Govt Bill 2016/17:21. and sustainable development16, which in part aims to facilitate the transition to a fossil-free welfare state, more housing construction and better conditions for the private sector. The standard of the railway system is to be improved, and there is to be greater use of new technology such as digitalisation and automation.

The Government has also presented a strategy for new industrialisation – Smart Industry – to help strengthen the capacity of companies for transition and competitiveness at both the national and regional level in areas such as digital development and sustainable production. The Government also has initiated five collaborative programmes to strengthen Sweden’s global innovation and competitiveness and to contribute to a sustainable development and job creation. The Government has also presented its policy in the area of sustainable 17 Comm. 2015/16:69. business (CSR) in a communication to the Riksdag17. Among other things, this communication contains a guide to sustainable business for companies operating in and outside Sweden.

As of 2016, new rules apply for major companies requiring them to also make an annual sustaianablility report of their operations. The Riksdag has also adopted a decision on more explicit national regulations so that Swedish procurements, both within the country and abroad, will be characterised by sustainability.

Sweden’s development cooperation supports capacity building for higher education and research in low-income countries by focusing on the building of national, sustainable research systems. Sweden also supports research of particular relevance to development in low-income countries. In 2015, the support for infrastructure initiatives in developing countries amounted to approximately SEK 1.43 billion.

29 Sweden faces several significant challenges. Additional measures will, for example, be needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to continue the development towards a more sustainable industry in all areas. Initiatives also need to be made to give everyone in Sweden access to a reliable and fast broadband. The digital services under development are to be user-friendly so that they do not risk increasing inequality for different groups in society. Goal 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries

The disposable income of households in Sweden has increased over many years, even calculated in fixed prices. At the same time, economic differences and disparities between different groups in society have increased. The gaps between different geographical areas of the country have been growing for a long time. The increasing income distribution over the past 20 years is due to the fact that the growth rate for the 40 per cent of the population with the lowest income has long been lower than both the average and the median for the entire population, while the growth rate for the 40 per cent with the highest income has been above the average.

The proportions of the population living on an income less than 50 per cent of the median income is greatest for younger ages and among those older than 80. The difference between men and women is greatest among those aged over 80, where a greater proportion of women has a low income.

In its 2017 budget bill, the Government stated that an action plan will be produced so as to gradually, before 2030, achieve and maintain a higher income growth than the national average for the 40 per cent of the population with the lowest income. Among people with disabilities, 28 per cent lack a cash margin, that is the margin for unforeseen expenses, and of those with activity compensa- tion and/or disability allowance, 35 per cent live in relative poverty.

Sweden has legislation to counter discrimination and to support national minorities. Legal protection to promote equal rights and opportunities and to counteract discrimination has been strengthened in recent years. In addition to this, national strategies to ensure equal rights and opportunities have been produced for, inter alia, disability policy, LGBT persons, Roma inclusion and for racism, similar forms of hostility and hate crimes. An overarching strategy has 18 Comm. 2016/17:29. also been produced for the national work on human rights18.

30 The exact extent of discrimination in Sweden is not known. Perceived discrimination differs from the occurrence of discrimination in the legal sense. In the discrimination complaints submitted to the Equality Ombudsman, the most common ground of discrimination is ethnicity, followed by disability, age, gender, and religion or other belief.

The proportion of the entire population that has been subjected to some kind of offensive treatment has decreased somewhat since 2004. In the latest reported period 2013-2016, it was more common for women (24 per cent) to be subjected to offensive treatment than men (15 per cent).

In recent years, migration policy and the refugee situation have been high on the agenda in Sweden and globally. In 2015, Sweden received 163 000 asylum seekers and in 2016 around 30 000 persons. For many years, Sweden has been a 19 Sweden was co-chair of the Global driving force for better international cooperation on migration19 and worked ac- Commission on International Migration in 2003- tively for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to be incorporated 2005 and Chair of the Global Forum on Migration into the UN.20 This is seen as an important part of the work to create conditions and Development in 2013 and 2014, and was one for an effective migration policy.21 of the states that was most active in pursuing the inclusion of migration in the 2030 Agenda. In July 2016, the Government presented a long-term reform programme for reduced segregation in 2017-2025. This programme focuses on a number of areas 20 The IOM was incorporated into the UN as a including housing, schooling, societal service and jobs, in order to safeguard related organisation on 19 September 2016. the Swedish model as a cohesive society. In March 2017, the Government appointed an inquiry chair to prepare and form a new national authority to counte- 21 Compare Target 10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe, ract segregation. regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation Socio-economic factors also affect participation in culture. The Government has of planned and well-managed migration policies. implemented several initiatives for promoting broad access to culture and for the common cultural heritage to become a matter for everyone. These include investments in reading promotion and an investment in culture and music schools.

The transaction costs for remittances, that is transfers of funds (as a percentage of the transferred amount) from individuals in Sweden to recipients in different parts of the world are high in some cases and need to become lower. In order to reduce these costs, the Swedish Consumer Agency has established a free price comparison service, Money from Sweden, which allows simple comparison of costs and transfer times.

Sweden wants low and middle-income countries to be given greater influence in international economic and financial institutions in line with their growing role in the global economy. For example, in order to make way for developing countries, Sweden and other European countries have reduced their voting power in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The main goal of Swedish development cooperation is to create the circumstances for better living conditions for those living in poverty and oppression. The Government starts from a multidimensional view of poverty that not only focuses on people’s lack of material assets, but also on the lack of power and influence over their own situation, choices, security and respect for human rights. The total Swedish development cooperation encompassed USD 4.9 billion in 2015.

31 Sweden continues to face a number of important challenges as regards reducing inequality, both financially and in other areas, such as health, work and housing. Discrimination in the everyday life of various groups in society – such as people with disabilities, LGBT persons, the Sami, Roma, newly arrived immigrants – needs to be counteracted and prevented in continuous work characterised by the fundamental values of the equal dignity of all, equality, and gender equality. Goal 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Of Sweden’s population, 85 per cent live in urban areas. Slums do not exist in any conventional sense; virtually all homes in Sweden’s cities have functioning water, sewage, heating and orderly street networks with lighting and functioning waste management. However, there is a certain level of overcrowding. Accor- ding to the norm applied in Sweden, a household is considered overcrowded if more than one person per bedroom lives in the home. Cohabiting couples can, however, share a bedroom, while children are to have their own bedrooms. A person living alone in a one-room apartment is considered overcrowded. With these definitions, 16 per cent of all persons aged 16 and older, were living in overcrowded conditions in 2014 and 2015. Six years earlier, the proportion was just under 15 per cent.

A comparison between urban growth in terms of area and urban growth in terms of population 1960–2015 shows that the growth of cities in terms of area since 1980 was greater than their population growth, i.e. urban areas use relatively more land per resident.

The quantity of particles in the air is of great importance for the health of the population, not least in urban areas, and the Swedish environmental objectives system has an environmental quality objective for clean air. Achieving this requires, inter alia, reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides and particles. The most recent follow-up using data from 19 Swedish urban areas shows that the development for air quality is largely positive, but that the objective will not be achieved.

Legislation and other rules exist for urban planning, which requires consultation with civil society and residents in areas to be developed, altered or planned for the future. A new policy for the designed living environment, architecture, form and design is currently being prepared at the Government Offices and aims to strengthen qualities in both urban and rural living environments.

32 Access to nearby green areas is in general relatively good in cities in Sweden. The proportion of the population in the 37 biggest cities with access to green areas within 200 metres of their home was 92 per cent in 2010.

As of 2015, the Swedish Discrimination Act (2008:567) states that inadequate accessibility can be a form of discrimination. Accessibility and usability need to be seen in the light of the population’s diversity and are a prerequisite for an inclusive urban and social life.

Household waste is disposed of in organised forms using various treatment methods. Of the proportion of household waste that was recycled in 2015, 49 per cent went to energy recovery; 35 per cent to recycling; 15 per cent to biological recycling and 0.8 per cent to landfill.

The total proportion of the population subjected to violent crime, that is assault, threats or mugging, amounted to 6.8 per cent in 2015. The proportion subjected to assault was 2 per cent, the proportion subjected to threats 5 per cent, and the proportion subjected to mugging 0.9 per cent. Sexual offences are not included in the combined figure for violent crime above. The proportion of the population subjected to sexual offences amounted to 1.7 per cent in 2015. Men are subjected to assault, robbery and fraud to a greater extent, while women are more often subjected to sexual offences, threats and harassment.

In an international perspective, Sweden is affected by few fatalities and injuries due to major natural disasters. There are no comprehensive national calculations of economic losses caused by natural disasters.

Swedish development cooperation is based on the challenges of growing cities faced by many low and middle-income countries, such as health and environmental problems, inequality, poverty and security problems. This is an important issue, not least in the context of the thematic focus on environmentally and climate-friendly sustainable development. Sweden provides the least developed countries with a limited support for the construction of resilient buildings using local resources.

Sweden faces several challenges regarding sustainable urban development with good security, and satisfying the need for more housing. Segregation in residential areas must be broken. Continued urbanisation is also placing greater demands on an expanded and environmentally friendly public transport with good accessibility also for persons with disabilities. An outstanding challenge is also to work preventively for disaster risk reduction in accordance with national and local action plans in line with the Sendai Framework.

33 Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Sweden has national plans and strategies in place to promote sustainable consumption and production, including the global 10-year framework and the Swedish environmental objectives system. Greenhouse gas emissions within Sweden’s borders decreased by 14 per cent between 2008 and 2014.

At the same time, emissions have continued to increase in other countries, among them countries from which Sweden imports goods and services. The greenhouse gas emissions that can be associated with Sweden’s imports from other countries are today higher than its own emissions and are not following the domestic downward trend.

In its 2017 budget bill, the Government presented a strategy for sustainable consumption. It looks at what the State can do as a first step – in collaboration with other actors, such as municipalities, the private sector and civil society organisations – in order to promote greater environmental, social and economic sustainability in consumption. Particular importance needs to be given to the consumption of food, transport and housing, which account for the greatest proportions of private consumption.

Sweden is a party to all the relevant chemicals and waste conventions, such as the Stockholm, Rotterdam, Basel-and Minamata conventions, and participates in the international chemicals strategy. Sweden reports in accordance with the requirements of the conventions.

The Government has adopted an action plan for a toxic-free everyday environment. The action plan runs for the period 2011–2020 and entails the use of measures to reduce exposure to hazardous substances in the everyday environment, with a particular focus on children.

In accordance with an EU Directive, new rules for companies’ sustainability reporting were introduced in late 2016. There is now a requirement for all companies of a certain size to submit a sustainability report. The requirement covers more companies than the EU Directive prescribes, an estimated 1 600 companies. The sustainability report is to describe, inter alia, the company’s policy on sustainability issues and the material risks linked to the company’s operations.

In June 2016, the Government presented a national procurement strategy that includes rules for environmental public procurement and how this is to contribute to social sustainability. The strategy primarily addresses central government authorities, but is also indicative for municipalities and county councils

34 where the majority of public procurements occur. The strategy also addresses companies with government ownership.

Swedish development cooperation contributes to promoting sustainable production and consumption by supporting a series of areas and collaborations with a wide range of actors including the private sector. Development cooperation can, among other things, promote a sustainable business climate and the responsible action of companies according to international norms and guidelines. In connection with this, Sweden also works to increase economic, social and environmental sustainability in public procurements in all areas of development cooperation.

Sweden faces significant challenges linked to the goal of contributing to and achieving sustainable consumption and production environmentally, socially and economically, at home and outside Sweden. Innovations, new partnerships domestically and internationally, and new thinking on matters including the circular economy and the sharing economy will be needed. Goal 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Sweden wholeheartedly supports the 2015 Paris Agreement and the goal to keep global warming below 2 degrees, with the aim of 1.5 degrees. Sweden sees climate change as one of humanity’s greatest challenges, where time is short for being able to turn global developments around.

Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 25 per cent in 1990–2015. Changes regarding the heating of housing, as well as industry and waste land- fills, have above all contributed to the emissions reduction. Total greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden amounted to 53.7 million tonnes in 2015. At the same time, there has been an increase in consumption-based emissions, which occur in other countries, but which are caused by Swedish consumption.

In March 2017, the Government submitted a bill to the Riksdag for a climate 22 Govt Bill 2016/17:147. policy framework for Sweden22. This framework is a central part of Sweden’s work to live up to the Paris Agreement. The climate goal proposed in the bill means that Sweden should have no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045. This brings forward and clarifies the previous goal that Sweden had of no net emissions by 2050. The Swedish environmental objectives system, above all the objective Reduced Climate Impact, is used to follow up the measures for reducing emissions.

35 In December 2016, actors with regional development responsibility were commissioned to produce regional action plans to integrate and strengthen the climate and environmental perspectives of regional growth work for the period 2017–2020. The Government provides local support for climate investments through the Climate Leap initiative. The initiative started in 2015 and has provided support for just over 480 different measures in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in different parts of the country.

Sweden participates actively in the international work in various forums to contribute to emissions reductions and climate adaptation in developing countries in connection with the Paris Agreement. Sweden’s financial contributions to international work are tangible. For example, Sweden is supporting the Green Climate Fund with SEK 4 billion in 2015-2018. This is the biggest per capita contribution of all donor countries to the fund.

Sweden faces several challenges with regard to contributing to the ability to achieve the goal and the targets. The challenges include finding methods for strongly, effectively and quickly helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions both in Sweden and in other parts of the world. They also involve taking suitable measures for climate adaptation in Sweden. Goal 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Sweden has adopted the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. In 2016, Sweden adopted measures entailing that at least 10 per cent of its marine areas are protected. Together with Fiji, Sweden initiated the major UN Ocean Conference in New York in June 2017, which aims to promote the measures necessary to achieve Goal 14.

In 2017, Sweden will contribute SEK 150 million to strengthened international initiatives. These include sustainable fisheries through the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), sustainable management of protected areas in collaboration with local populations through the Blue Action Fund, reduced marine littering through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and strengthened work on oceans and climate through the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Sweden also contributes to a new marine programme for 15 countries in the Pacific region, the Pacific- European Union Marine Partnership, which aims to support improved sustainable management and development of fisheries to achieve greater food security and economic growth.

36 Emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus, and marine debris and plastic in the ocean are tangible problems. Eutrophication and the spread of anoxic bottom waters are also major problems in the Baltic Sea. Eutrophication is also a major problem in the Skagerrak, Kattegatt and North Sea. A large number of efforts are being made to reduce the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus to the sea. There are decreases in emissions, but follow-up according to the Swedish environmental objectives system shows that these efforts might need to increase.

The chemical status of Swedish coastal waters is not good due to generally high levels of mercury. Some fish stocks are increasing, while the status of others is critical in parts of the seas surrounding Sweden. Where necessary, in addition to fishing regulation, competent authorities take the initiative for limitations of fishing in areas that fall outside EU jurisdiction and that Sweden itself governs. These measures can be effective for strengthening fish stocks and have positive effects on other ecosystem functions and services. Special coastal quotas are allocated for small-scale fishing, and there are also special areas in the Baltic Sea for new establishment of small-scale fishing.

As stated above, Sweden faces a series of interrelated challenges, individually and in cooperation with other coastal states, for achieving all the targets under the this goal. Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Swedish forestry legislation and the environmental objectives system have provisions and goals that cover almost all aspects of this goal.

The proportion of woodland of Sweden’s total land area is 69 per cent and has been stable at this level since at least 1990. The standing volume in the Swedish forests has doubled since the 1920s as a result of appropriate reforestation, forest management and regeneration felling.

As regards maintaining biodiversity in important land and freshwater areas, the IUCN states that 32 per cent of these fall under protected areas in Sweden. The same organisation calculates that 12.5 per cent of important biodiversity areas in the Swedish mountains fall under protected areas.

37 The Red List Index for Sweden is 0.93. It can be expected to stay at this level for quite some time since the metadata description can be perceived to be blunt. Sweden’s view is that it would be of value to have an index broken down by different species groups to make it easier to discern certain changes over time.

As regards preventing and managing the risk and spread of invasive alien 23 Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the species, there is an EU Regulation23 on the prevention and management of the European Parliament and of the Council introduction and spread of invasive alien species which Swedish authorities are of 22 October 2014. working to implement.

Sweden is party to the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and to the Nagoya Protocol, which both aim to promote access to, and the reasonable and equitable sharing of, the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The EU’s ABS Regulation is the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the EU, which relates to access to and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits when genetic resources are used in research and product development. The EU recently adopted an action plan against the illegal trade in protected animals and plants.

Globally, Sweden contributes by supporting low and middle-income countries’ accession to and implementation of commitments under international environmental and climate conventions. In 2015, Swedish development cooperation allocated just over SEK 2 billion to biodiversity interventions in developing countries, calculated using the OECD policy marker for biodiversity reported as a principal or significant objective.

Maintaining sustainable forest management in accordance with Swedish environmental objectives and other priorities will require further work to ensure biodiversity, counteract climate change and stimulate increased growth and employment. Sweden’s challenges mainly lie in the broad, multi-stakeholder collaboration to live up to its own goals, such as the generational goal, and goals for the environment, employment and climate. These challenges are partly managed in the work with a national forestry programme and the Government’s strategic collaborative programme on a circular and bio-based economy.

38 Goal 16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

As a peaceful society, Sweden can be assessed to fulfil a number of the targets, for example, as regards effective and transparent institutions with accountability at all levels, the provision of legal identity, including birth registration, for all and ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental liberties, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements. In October 2016, the Government submitted a communication to the Riksdag 24 Comm. 2016/17:29. containing its strategy for the national work on human rights.24 In this communication, the Government makes the assessment that a national institution for 25 The Paris Principles were adopted human rights in accordance with the Paris Principles25 should be established by the UN in 1993 and specify a num- and that this institution should be under the Riksdag. ber of criteria for national institutions safeguarding human rights. Among the The occurrence of violence in various forms poses a continued challenge. In criteria are that such an institution November 2016, the Government submitted a communication to the Riksdag shall be independent from the executive reporting different measures against, inter alia, honour-related violence26. government, not only formally but also Sweden is one of ten pathfinder countries in the Global Partnership to End economically and administratively. Violence Against Children, which was launched in New York in July 2016.27

26 Comm. 2016/17:10. The total number of murders was around 1 case per 100 000 inhabitants in 2016, which was an increase compared with 2011. Men are victims of fatal violence to 27 The Global Partnership to End Vio- a higher degree than women. lence Against Children is an initiative for international collaboration between The total proportion of the population subjected to violent crime, that is governments, civil society, the private assault, threats or mugging, amounted to 6.8 per cent in 2015. Sexual offences sector and other actors. are not included in the combined figure. The proportion subjected to assault was 2 per cent, the proportion subjected to threats 5 per cent, and the proportion subjected to mugging 0.9 per cent. The proportion of the population subjected to sexual offences in 2015 amounted to 1.7 per cent. Men are subjected to assault and mugging to a greater extent than women, while women are subjected to 28 The question about safety in the sexual offences and threats to a greater extent. People with disabilities state to Swedish Crime Survey is worded diffe- a greater extent than others that they have been subjected to physical violence. rently from the indicator for the 2030 Agenda target. The question in the The 2016 Swedish Crime Survey showed that 81 per cent of the population felt Swedish survey asks about perceived quite or very safe late in the evening in their own neighbourhood28. This is a safety late in the evening in their own decrease compared with the 2015 survey, but not compared with the 2006 survey. neighbourhood, while the indicator does There are major differences between how men and women experience feeling not specify the time of the day. unsafe in their own neighbourhood late in the evening. For example, 12 per cent

39 of women completely refrain from going out late in the evening because of fear, which can be compared with 2 per cent of men. Among people with disabilities, 39 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men state that they refrain from going out. They constitute 27 per cent of the group as a whole.

According to a questionnaire survey of a nationwide selection of students in grade nine, the proportion of children aged 1-17 who stated that they on some occasion in their lifetime had been subjected to some form of physical or 29 The statistics specified can be seen psychological assault, or to neglect or had witnessed violence in the home, was as an approximation of the indicator in 20 per cent in 2011. There were no significant differences between boys and the 2030 Agenda. The Swedish study is girls.29 However, children with disabilities often experience a particularly vul- based on whether the children have been nerable situation. subjected on some occasion in their lifetime and not in the past month, as According to a study from 2014, the proportion of women and men who stated stated in the indicator. that they had been subjected to sexual violence before the age of 18 was 37 per cent30. Far more women, 54 per cent, had experienced sexual violence than men, 30 Report from the National Centre for among whom the proportion was 20 per cent. Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women, Våld och hälsa (2014). The proportion of people in 2015 deprived of liberty pending a verdict, which also includes those who had appealed a lower court judgment, was 23 per cent of the total prison population, which was just under 5 800 persons in all.

Central government expenditure in relation to the funds allocated in the state budget was 100 per cent in 2015. The proportion of the population that was quite or very satisfied with democracy in Sweden was 69 per cent in 2015. In 1996, the proportion was just under 50 per cent.

Sweden’s foreign policy is to be permeated by the defence and protection of human rights, democracy and the principles of the rule of law. The Governme- nt’s communication Human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Swedish 31 Comm. 2016/17:62. foreign policy31, which was submitted to the Riksdag in December 2016, also states that Sweden is to be a global leader in promoting, preventing and influencing developments in these three areas. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017 and 2018, Sweden’s work for peacebuilding focuses on strengthening a conflict prevention perspective, increasing the effectiveness of the UN and on highlighting the work for women, peace and security. Since 2015, Sweden has been co-Chair with Sierra Leone of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding. Interventions for peace and security are an important part of development cooperation. Most of the interventions that Sweden supports have been analysed from a conflict perspective.

The work of Sweden to combat money laundering and terrorist financing has been conducted on many levels in 2016. This is a work that concerns large parts of society and that encompasses both administrative and criminal legislation. It is also a work that is largely conducted internationally, since the crime that the system is to counteract often has cross-border elements. In its ongoing international work, Sweden has pursued positions to ensure that the international framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing is effective without compromising on the fundamental rule of law. This has been done in various forums, above all as part of negotiations in the international organisation, the Financial Action Task Force, and in the EU.

40 Within the context of being a well-functioning, peaceful and democratically developed society, Sweden faces a number of challenges. These include different methods to prevent and combat various elements of violence, including violent extremism. The work against human trafficking requires expanded international cooperation. A vital cultural life and the safeguarding of cultural heritage are prerequisites for an inclusive and democratic society. A challenge for the whole of society is to continuously safeguard and further develop Swedish democracy and the rule of law, and to maintain respect for and observance of human rights, including the rights of people with disabilities and of children. The question of making the Convention on the Rights of the Child law is being prepared at the Government Offices. The tasks of the new national gender equality agency will include strengthening the preventive work against men’s violence against women. Goal 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Sweden’s domestic resource mobilisation constitutes the financial foundation of the Swedish model and a modern welfare State with openness to and cooperation with the outside world. The tax ratio, that is mandatory taxes and social security contributions in relation to GDP at current prices, was 43 per cent in 2015. The tax ratio has varied between 42 and 46 per cent since 2006. Central government expenditure as a proportion of domestic taxes amounted to 90 per cent in 2015.

Sweden has long had an effective national system for collecting statistics in many areas, in accordance with international principles. The vast majority of indicators are also produced as part of the official statistics and should then be consistent with the fundamental principles of official statistics. Sweden performed its latest population and housing census in 2014.

Since 1975, Sweden’s development cooperation and humanitarian aid has met or exceeded 0.7 per cent of annual GNI. Sweden’s own aid goal is 1 per cent of GNI. Since 2006, development cooperation and humanitarian aid has amounted to about 1 per cent of GNI. According to OECD statistics, Sweden’s aid to the 32 Includes aid received by the least least developed countries amounted to 0.29 per cent of GNI in 201532. Of the developed countries via Swedish core total Swedish development cooperation in 2015, just over SEK 2 billion went support to multilateral organisations. to financial and technical support for developing countries. In the same year, support for capacity building in the area of statistics amounted to approximately SEK 113 million.

41 Sweden’s Policy for Global Development from 2003 was an early expression of Sweden’s view that there is a need for coherence between policy areas and different measures in order to contribute to sustainable development, both at home and internationally. The relaunch of the Policy for Global Development in 2014 means that Sweden has a mechanism in place to strengthen policy coherence for sustainable development in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and the global goals.

Sweden sees the Addis Ababa Action Agenda as an integrated, tangible and operationally focused framework that links directly to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the necessity of further developing global partnerships in many areas. The aim of these partnerships includes mobilising financial resources and providing access to technology. Sweden compiled an extensive report, Towards Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Report on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development for the international forum on financing for development in New York in May 2017.

Coherence for an equitable and sustainable development must permeate all policy areas and dimensions of the work – horizontally between policy areas and vertically from the local level to the regional, national and global levels, and from goal to implementation.

The goal of the work with the EU’s common trade policy is to contribute to sustainable growth and employment in Sweden, in the EU and globally. Sweden works for an open and equitable global trade that contributes to sustainable development. The multilateral system remains one of the foundations of EU trade policy, of which Sweden is a part.

Sweden contributes to increasing the exports of the least developed countries (Target 17.11), in part through the national contact point Open Trade Gate Sweden (OTGS). OTGS provides exporters from developing countries with information free of charge on rules and requirements for exports to Sweden and the EU. They can also turn to OTGS in order to resolve problems related to trade policy regulations.

As a member of the EU’s common customs area, Sweden offers the least developed countries duty-free and quota-free market access in accordance with Target 17.12.

Sweden faces several challenges in the area. The most important one is to be able to consistently and tangibly realise policy coherence in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to constructively contribute to this globally as well.

42 43 6 Current work in Sweden to implement the 2030 Agenda

At the national level

Extensive work is being done in Sweden that has a direct or indirect bearing on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Since their adoption in September 2015, the Agenda and the 17 goals for sustainable development have been met by curiosity and a growing interest at different levels in society. Many stakeholders are in the process of learning more, and doing more, individually and together, to help Sweden meet its commitment by 2030. The population’s knowledge and engagement are foundational.

The Riksdag

The anchoring of the 2030 Agenda in the Riksdag is decisive for being able to implement the Agenda in Sweden and for contributing to its global implementation. The Riksdag has taken note of, processed and adopted a number of the Government’s communications and bills that have a particular bearing on the Agenda. These include the communications Policy for Global Development in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; Policy for sustainable business (CSR); Democracy, human rights and the rule of law; The Government’s strategy for the national work on human rights; the Policy framework for Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian aid; and the communication Power, goals and agency – a feminist policy for a gender equal future as well as the bills A food strategy for Sweden – more jobs and sustainable growth in the entire country ; Knowledge in collaboration – for society’s challenges and strengthened competitiveness; and the bill on Cultural heritage policy.

The Government submits communications on the Policy for Global Development (PGU) to the Riksdag every two years. These communications consists of a systematic follow-up of the work that points both to progress and to continued challenges. The Riksdag has held seminars and public hearings on PGU. One example was the joint hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Finance on capital flight and tax evasion in June 2016.

The Government and the central government authorities

The Government’s strong political leadership is a fundamental prerequisite for the work to implement the 2030 Agenda. All policy areas are to work towards achieving the Agenda’s goals and thus strive towards equitable and sustainable

44 development. Public administration is to be proactive in this work, at all levels. Existing structures for analysis and implementation of policy ambitions are also to be used to implement the Agenda. This will facilitate the systematic follow-up and collection of results.

All ministries at the Government Offices have the commission to integrate the 2030 Agenda in the governance of the government authorities. The guidelines for the annual dialogue between the Government Offices and the national authorities state, inter alia, that it should be discussed in which manner the authority will work on implementing the Agenda and which of the goals and targets specifically concern the authority in question. Best practices are to be highlighted.

The Government has intensified its work to integrate the 2030 Agenda in the governance and follow-up of the government authorities. In spring 2017, all ministries have summarised and reported their implementation work. These reports show that the implementation of all the global goals is reflected in the activities of the ministries. This is a good start to the important process of making the Agenda a natural and integral part of ordinary operations. It will be an urgent task to ensure that the forthcoming annual processes at the Govern- ment Offices observe and help to live up to the Swedish objectives for implementing the Agenda.

The Government has developed new metrics for prosperity that complement GDP in order to illustrate the sustainability of the economy and people’s quality of life. The 2017 Spring Fiscal Policy Bill presents a set of new prosperity indicators, which are structured according to the three dimensions of economic, environmental and social sustainability.

Sweden has good experience of working in an integrated manner – mainstreaming – with various issues, particularly regarding the Policy for Global Deve- lopment, gender equality, the environmental objectives and human rights. The following gives some examples of this.

The Policy for Global Development

PGU is a central tool for contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. All ministries have produced action plans in accordance with the Government’s communication Policy for Global Development in the implementation of 33 Comm. 2015 /16:182. the 2030 Agenda33. The analytical work that resulted in the action plans are assessed to have created a good level of knowledge and anchoring, and thus constitutes an important result in itself. The communication to the Riksdag specifies which ministries are responsible for implementing a number of thematic areas within PGU linked to the global goals of the 2030 Agenda. The action plans for PGU will be revised in the second half of 2017.

Gender equality

The Government’s ambition to pursue a feminist policy for gender equality is explicit in all areas of the ministries’ reports of their work with the 2030 Agenda. This is true both of various steering documents and of more concrete efforts in line with the Agenda.

45 The objective of gender equality policy in Sweden is that women and men are to have the same power to shape society and their own lives. It is the responsibility of all ministers to contribute to the fulfilment of this objective. A fundamental prerequisite for achieving the objectives of gender equality policy is gender mainstreaming. This means that a gender equality perspective is to be applied in all policies affecting people’s rights, conditions and opportunities. This approach has been tangibly reflected in the ministries’ work with the goals of the 2030 Agenda. Several tools have been developed, including gender equality budgeting, methodological support and requirements for analytical work within ordinary processes. The challenge lies in ensuring over time that the gender equality perspective is constantly observed in all areas of government policy.

Environment and climate

Sweden has had a national environmental objectives system since the 1990s. The environmental objectives provide a structure and a tangible form for Sweden’s work with climate and the environment. The objectives correspond well with the green dimension of the 2030 Agenda and create a driving force in the work to implement the Agenda. Responsible authorities perform annual follow-up of the environmental objectives, and every four years, there is a more extensive evaluation of the degree of goal achievement. As of 2017, this follow-up is linked to the relevant goals and targets of the Agenda. The environmental objectives system constitutes a clear example of a long-term and integrated work that sets goals, allocates responsibilities and continuously reports results. The major challenge of continued work lies in the necessity of taking measures at a faster pace in order to achieve the goals set in the environmental objectives system and the Agenda. Priorities must continually be made between the goals, and resources deployed where they yield the best environmental benefit.

Sweden’s contribution to the international implementation of the environmental and climate elements of the 2030 Agenda has links to the environmental quality objectives and the generational goal, but also has a broader objective than this. International implementation takes place in the context of existing international processes in the field of the environment and climate, including the implementation of the international climate conventions. Initiatives to assist in the continued process have been taken by several international organisations, such as the UN Environment Programme, the OECD, UNECE, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Nordic Council of Ministers, in which Sweden is in many cases a driving force and/or major donor. The environment and climate perspective is also important in development cooperation policy and in the Policy for Global Development, and there the work is continuously maintained.

Health and well-being

Besides the fact that health and well-being are important rights and goals in themselves, good health is also a prerequisite for achieving many of the other goals of the 2030 Agenda. The Government’s starting point for health and well-being is that a sustainable society must be built on proactive work for health equity. This work is based on the eleven targets set for the work with public health. These cover most of the factors that have the greatest significance for people’s health and well-being.

46 The overarching goal of public health policy is to create societal conditions for good health for the entire population, both women and men. It is particularly urgent to take measures for the groups that are most vulnerable to ill-health. A national commission has been appointed to strengthen public health work for 34 ToR 2015:60. health equity in Sweden34. A series of initiatives are also being taken to counteract the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, tobacco and doping preparations.

The report from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs indicates a number of concrete measures to improve public health. Extensive work is in progress to deal with the growing antibiotic resistance both through national and international initiatives. The Government is preparing structural reforms in healthcare in order to create sustainable conditions. Special investments are being made to improve the utilisation of healthcare resources and to create greater equity in cancer care. The Government has also produced a strategy in the area of mental health. A national pharmaceutical strategy has been adopted with the aim of reducing the negative effects on public health resulting from the incorrect use of medicines.

Education and research

Sustainable development is incorporated in the Higher Education Act (1992:1434). Building both a breadth and depth of knowledge is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development. Access to and the conveying of knowledge is to be equitable as regards people’s economic conditions, geographic residence, age, gender and ethnicity. Access to a good education is a right for all, of great importance to personal development and a prerequisite for the active participation of individuals in a democratic society. The skills of everyone in Sweden are to be harnessed, both of those born in the country and of those born abroad. A good education policy lays the foundation for everyone’s participation in working life.

The Government’s ambition is for Sweden to continue making progress in the area of research. The development of cutting-edge expertise contributes to sustainable growth.

A major challenge is the future securing of adequate access to well-trained teachers and other categories of staff in the education sector. The current lack of teachers at all levels is a problem that must be resolved. Recruitment to research must also be secured.

Integration

In recent years, Sweden has received a large number of refugees and other migrants. A starting point for Swedish integration policy is that newly arrived immigrants are a positive resource for the development of society, and this policy area is therefore a very important area for being able to achieve several of the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Many of those born abroad are currently outside the labour market, especially women born abroad. They are thus at risk of being affected by relative poverty. Besides the actual consequences for those affected, this has negative effects

47 on the opportunities to achieve many other goals and targets in the Agenda. The Ministry of Employment is currently performing extensive work to facilitate and bring about the establishment of newly arrived immigrants in Sweden. This includes initiatives to create jobs, housing and educational opportunities.

Food security

The Government’s bill A food strategy for Sweden – more jobs and sustainable growth in the entire country was submitted to the Riksdag in early 2017. Its proposals aim to stimulate an effective and environmentally sustainable food production in the country35. The bill is based consistently on the national environmental quality objectives and the generational goal adopted by the Riksdag, which constitute the core of the environmental objectives system. The global 35 Govt Bill 2016/17:104. demand for food is calculated to be doubled by 2050. Agriculture will need to compete with other land users for land and water and at the same time adapt and contribute to mitigating climate change. Agriculture also needs to contribute to the conservation and protection of threatened species and biodiversity. It is necessary to develop agriculture effectively without bringing about a negative environmental impact. This presents possibilities, and challenges, for Sweden to be at the forefront of contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in a global perspective.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

In its 2017 budget bill, the Government presented a strategy for sustainable consumption36. Among other things, this strategy aims to increase knowledge about the environmental consequences of consumption and to deepen collaboration, stimulate environmentally smart consumption patterns, promote the efficient use of resources and to prevent goods and services from being harmful 36 Govt Bill 2016/17:1. to health and the environment. The strategy covers initiatives in consumer policy and in a series of other policy areas, attaching particular importance to the consumption of food, transport and housing. Extra resources are being invested in the establishment of a forum for environmentally smart consumption and in providing incentives for environmentally smart consumption patterns.

Sustainable investments

The Government has conducted a dialogue with representatives for the financial sector from major banks, insurance companies and pension managers about their role in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agen- da. Information exchange has covered what the Government is doing in general, specifically linked to the private sector and the financial sector, to implement the Agenda and what the financial sector actors are doing to increase the proportion of sustainable investments. The challenges discussed include the problems or obstacles seen as the most prominent in the work to increase the proportion of sustainable investments and the potential solutions that exist, and how the Government can support the financial sector’s work to increase sustainable investments.

48 Sustainable procurement

Public procurement, conducted by national and local government, has grown sharply in recent years, and today corresponds to almost 20 per cent of Sweden’s GDP. The work to assure the quality of public procurement is important for achieving sustainable development.

A new procurement legislation, the Public Procurement Act (2016:1145), entered into force on 1 January 2017. A national government procurement strategy has been produced with seven directional goals that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In addition to economic sustainability, these encompass environmentally responsible public procurement and a public procurement that contributes to a socially sustainable society. A new authority, the National Agency for Public Procurement, has been established to support and strengthen the work of public procurement.

Work has also commenced to see how sustainable procurement and innovation procurement can be promoted and used in the UN system, in development banks and in international development cooperation. Properly used, modern procurement methods can contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the global goals through means such as promoting good governance and a more efficient use of scarce resources.

The work against corruption

The Government attaches great importance to detecting and preventing corruption and other irregularities within the public sector. The initiatives, which among others address all heads of authorities in Sweden, are based on principles of a good administrative culture that is based on shared common values. All government employees are to have a good knowledge and understanding of fundamental values in government administration and of their role as government officials and of how they are to promote a central government administration that is free from corruption and other irregularities.

The central government authorities

In August 2016, around 90 government authorities reported on an integrated commission on the 2030 Agenda work that had been received from the Govern- ment earlier that year. The Government then assigned various operationally adapted tasks to a number of the authorities. The reports showed how the authorities are implementing the 2030 Agenda, the degree to which their activities are having an effect on the global goals or targets, and what the authorities assess need to be strengthened or developed in order for them to better contribute to the realisation of the 17 global goals.

The current activities of almost all the authorities concerned are largely linked to most parts of the Agenda and its goals. This is primarily true of their activities in Sweden, but many authorities have also stated how their activities and work are having an effect on the international realisation of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. To a high degree, the authorities demonstrate great insight regarding the fact that the goals and targets are related to and affect

49 each other, that they must be seen in an integrative manner, and that a cross-sectoral perspective needs to be established in the work to implement the Agenda. A number of authorities performed their own cluster/nexus analyses of the goals and targets related to their own area of responsibility.

The authorities have a large number of programme initiatives and tools as well as information and knowledge platforms that are highly relevant to the continued work to implement the 2030 Agenda. This means that they can use existing processes and cooperations to a large extent.

With many examples, the authorities demonstrate the fact that collaboration and partnership at various levels are central methods and practices for implementing the 2030 Agenda, both between the authorities themselves and with actors in the surrounding community, such as civil society, the private sector, the social partners, researchers and knowledge institutions. At the same time, many authorities underline that the realisation of the Agenda is a question of good and developed governance. They call for a clear vision and governance structure at the national level, primarily in the form of an overall gap analysis, that is an assessment of the current situation and the setting of national objectives for goals and targets. Most assess that there is a need for a national action plan for the work with the 2030 Agenda and a relevant system for follow-up.

One conclusion drawn from the reports of the authorities is that the Swedish model should be developed further. Based on the work already in progress, holistic thinking should continue to be developed. Broader and deeper collaboration and new partnerships between several different stakeholders are to be established on the basis of the 2030 Agenda. There is a need for cross-boundary analysis and measures, with innovations in various areas to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development.

In January 2017, around 40 authorities in a forum for directors-general made a joint declaration of intent regarding the 2030 Agenda. The declaration of intent represents a starting point for greater collaboration in the implementation of the Agenda, both in Sweden and internationally. The participating heads of authorities assessed that a strategic dialogue between the authorities will facilitate greater coherence and provide opportunity to develop forms of concrete cooperation for implementing the Agenda.

Swedish missions abroad

In 2016, the Government also commissioned all Sweden’s just over 100 missions abroad to report how they work with and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The task included describing how the host country is implementing the Agenda. About half of the missions abroad submitted responses, and a compilation of these shows that the authorities are working actively with the Agenda. The four goals that the authorities stated they were working on most were Goal 5 on gender equality, Goal 8 on inclusive economic growth and decent work, Goal 13 on climate, and Goal 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies.

Several embassies have sustainable development as an overarching objective for their activities and have joint work between their different sections in

50 areas such as analysis, reporting and public diplomacy. A number of missions abroad believe that more needs to be done to integrate the 2030 Agenda work in their activities as a whole. This can be done through means including increasing knowledge about the Agenda, integrating it in operational planning and other governance instruments and by developing partnerships with various actors. Around 30 missions abroad are active in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ communication initiative #FirstGeneration, which is an international campaign to create engagement, strengthen communication and broaden the popular sup- 37 See also Section 6. port for the 2030 Agenda37.

The Delegation for the 2030 Agenda

In March 2016, the Government appointed a committee, the 2030 Agenda delegation, with the commission to support and stimulate the work to implement the 38 See also Section 4. Agenda38. On 1 June 2017, the delegation submitted to the Government the report, Towards sustainable welfare – the 2030 Agenda delegation’s status report and proposals for an action plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The delegation has previously proposed measures to promote the dissemination of information and knowledge on sustainable development, including digital solutions.

The delegation’s work encompasses broad dialogue with different societal actors. The draft action plan of the delegation proposes that the Government’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda prioritises the following areas:

»» an equitable and gender-equal society,

»» sustainable cities,

»» a circular economy of benefit to society,

»» a stronger private sector with sustainable business models,

»» sustainable and healthy food, and

»» enhanced knowledge and innovation.

Statistics Sweden

In 2016 and 2017, the Government has assigned Statistics Sweden (SCB) several commissions that have a bearing on the 2030 Agenda. The first task for SCB was to make a preliminary overview assessment, based on available data and information, of how Sweden is currently living up to the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. The main results in that report have been summarised in Section 5. The authority has also been commissioned to propose national Swedish indicators for the Agenda’s goals. SCB has also been commissioned to propose a system to follow up the results of the Swedish implementation of the Agenda. The commissions and proposals in both areas will be reported to the Government in the second half of 2017.

51 52 Municipalities and county councils

Sweden is a unitary state with a decentralised societal structure. The administrative and democratic system is geographically divided into three levels: central government, regional and local. The local level has 290 municipalities, and the regional level has 20 county councils. The municipalities and county councils vary greatly in size, both in terms of population and area. They are governed by democratically elected decision-making assemblies.

In an international perspective, Sweden stands out in that many tasks, which in other countries are performed by central government or private actors, are managed by municipalities and county councils. These may levy taxes, which is the primary source of financing for their operations.

All municipalities and county councils follow the same national legislation and essentially have the same responsibilities and tasks, even though there are great differences between them. These are partly due to the size and development of the population, to whether the municipality has a high or low population den- sity, and to the population’s age structure and socio-economic conditions and the municipality’s business structure and economic situation.

All activities carried out by the municipalities and county councils are covered by local self-government. This means that the municipalities and the county councils make independent decisions on local issues, which also provides the opportunity for local adaptations based on different needs and conditions. Mu- nicipalities and county councils are required to provide certain societal services and also have the opportunity to engage in voluntary activities.

Against this background, municipalities and county councils have a central role in the work with sustainable development in Sweden. The goals of the 2030 Ag- enda touch upon a large number of areas in which Swedish municipalities and county councils are already working actively, and it is at the local level that global commitments, international and EU law and national legislation are to be translated into practical action.

The mandatory tasks for county councils cover healthcare, dental care for children and young people, as well as public transport, which is a responsibility shared with municipalities. The voluntary tasks consist of culture, education and tourism. Healthcare accounts for the majority of county council costs.

Municipalities have a broad mandate and several roles diverse in character. Among other things, they are responsible for healthcare, schools and social services. Welfare activities account for the majority of municipal costs. Other mandatory tasks for which municipalities are responsible are planning and building issues, environmental inspection, healthcare and rescue services. Municipali- ties can also voluntarily engage in tasks within the areas of, for example recre- ation and culture, energy supply and street maintenance.

Municipalities also assume a major responsibility for creating conditions for business development, employment, access to public and commercial services and for housing supply, broadband expansion, digitalisation, crime prevention,

53 emergency preparedness and civil defence. In these areas, interaction with the private sector, civil society and central government authorities are of decisive importance. Collaboration between municipalities and county councils has become increasingly common, and developments are moving towards ever greater energy being placed on integrated action.

A considerable part of public activities is thus managed by municipalities and county councils. Municipal expenditure corresponded to 24 per cent of Sweden’s GDP in 2016. Employment financed by local government, that is to say persons employed in municipalities, county councils and in the parts of the private sector commissioned by local government, constituted a quarter of the total number of persons employed in Sweden in the same year.

Local sustainability work gained an impact through the earlier work with Agenda 21, and there is a strong commitment in the Swedish municipalities towards sustainable development. Considerable work for sustainable development is being done locally and regionally. The 2030 Agenda is perceived to be a positive umbrella under which to bring together sustainability work, particularly for the integrated communication of sustainability’s social, environmental and economic dimensions. Some municipalities are now in the start-up phase of linking the 2030 Agenda to their own operations, while others have included the Agenda in their management systems and steering documents. However, there is some variation in how far municipalities and county councils have come in their work. For example, experience exchange and collaboration in various partnerships through the work with the 2030 Agenda is developing in different parts of the country.

A goal of the employers’ and interest organisation Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), with a bearing on the 2030 Agenda, is to promote the ability of municipalities, county councils and regions to conduct coherent sustainability work that harnesses social, ecological and economic dimensions. The organisation’s orientation document Responsibility for welfare 2016-2019 touches upon several of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, such as a sustainable societal structure, promoting women’s empowerment, improving the equality of schools and pursuing full and productive employment with decent work. In 2016, SALAR commenced work that in various ways highlights the 2030 Agenda for the members which, however, themselves define and make decisions on the work with sustainability. The organisation has also started to map its members’ initiatives regarding the 2030 Agenda. SALAR’s board has also tasked its administrative office with analysing how the organisation’s congress goals within each operational area relate to the goals of the 2030 Ag- enda, and with monitoring the implementation of the Agenda. There are several interesting examples of the local and regional work, some of which are reported below.

The City of Malmö, Sweden’s third largest municipality with 320 000 inhabitants, has made the 2030 Agenda goals the municipality’s goal. In September 2015, Malmö signed A declaration of cities´ commitment to the 2030 sustainable development agenda. The municipal budget for 2017 contains a commission for the entire municipal administration to implement the goals of the 2030 Agenda. Malmö builds upon previous experience of work with sustainability.

54 Two pilot cases with a new model for steering the municipality’s long-term investments assess benefits on the basis of the three sustainability dimensions. Another example is how to break down the overarching sustainability goals for a locally defined area in order to produce integrated initiatives for sustainable urban development. Over time, Malmö has also developed several local and international partnerships. In late 2016, the city held a major international conference with participants from 32 countries, Sustainable City Development 2016, concerning sustainable development and the local implementation of the global goals.

With its 12 000 inhabitants, Åtvidaberg is an example of a smaller town that conducts work to implement the 2030 Agenda. In December 2016, the municipal assembly adopted a sustainability programme for the municipality based on the 17 global goals. The programme provides an overall description of how Åtvida- berg municipality is to contribute to achieving the global, national, regional and local goals linked to sustainability. The decision applies for the period 2016-2020 and is initially an internal work of the municipal administration, with a special working group to produce the sustainability programme. The intention is to broaden the perspective after 2020 to cover the entire municipality and to involve civil society, the private sector and other actors.

Strängnäs municipality, which has 35 000 inhabitants, has reviewed existing goals in the municipality’s comprehensive plan for 2014-2040 and other plans to see how they can be linked to the global sustainability goals. It has been found that there are links to almost all the 17 goals. The comprehensive plan has separate plans and strategies for various dimensions of social sustainability – such as public health, accessibility and gender equality – and the environment – such as water, transport, sustainable meals, nature and biodiversity, energy and climate, ecocycle and non-toxic environment, construction and planning. Goals for the work and systems for following up these goals are to be produced.

At the regional level, Kalmar County, with 237 000 inhabitants, is working actively to integrate the 2030 Agenda and the 17 global goals in its ongoing work to produce a new regional development strategy. The 2030 Agenda has become a central framework for work on the new strategy, which has direct points of contact with 15 of the global goals. Each section of the working material for the new strategy begins by specifying which of the 2030 Agenda goals are treated in the section. At the same time, the ambition is for the goals to be seen as an integrated whole.

The private sector

An innovate and dynamic business sector and a good climate for entrepreneurs and companies are decisive for creating jobs, growth, prosperity and welfare.

The transition to a sustainable society entails new challenges for Swedish companies – and at the same time great opportunities. Swedish business is demon- strating great engagement in assuming the commitments made by the inter- 39 Conference of the Parties (COP) to the national community in the 2030 Agenda and at the COP21 climate conference United Nations Framework Convention on Climate in Paris39. The private sector was an important and constructive force when the Change (UNFCCC). Agenda was negotiated and has a central role in its implementation. The Agenda

55 represents a fruitful and forward-looking framework for the business community. Many companies consider the 2030 Agenda “the world’s biggest order”.

The 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals are an explicit example of how challenges and opportunities are interrelated. The business sector has a key role in the implementation of the Agenda, and companies are encoura- ged to use their creativity and innovation capacity to make their contribution. The Agenda has all the potential to be a catalyst for the conversion of Sweden’s economy and at the same time help companies find new business opportunities.

Sustainability is an integral part of many Swedish companies’ business models. Swedish companies have generally positioned themselves well in the growing market for sustainable goods and services. Both small and large Swedish companies have much to offer the global market. Examples include innovations for emissions reduction, climate change adaptation and innovation in areas such as skills development, mobility for people and goods, and sustainable solutions that more people can afford.

Companies have the main responsibility for running their operations in a sustainable manner, but there is a need for interaction between companies, stakeholders and other societal actors. The private sector has a key role in finding solutions to the challenges that exist in the field of the environment and climate, in order to create a more gender-equal working life that harnesses the skills of both women and men and in securing acceptable working conditions and respect for human rights.

The 2030 Agenda requires innovation in many areas. For example, it is necessary to see innovation initiatives for increasing the proportion of the bio-based economy or innovation for developing, testing and disseminating climate and environmental technology. The creativity and innovation capacity of companies are of great importance. Innovative collaborations between different actors ac- celerate development and contribute to better solutions. There is potential for innovation and sustainable business development in all industries, and this can contribute to employment in both urban and rural regions. Here, small and medium-sized enterprises play an important role.

Increased ambition for sustainable business (CSR)

The Government has established that it wants to raise its level of ambition for sustainable business (CSR). It has therefore presented a number of initiatives concerning the sustainability work of the private sector and the relationship between central government and the private sector. In addition to the strategy for new industrialisation, Smart Industry, and the collaborative programmes, the Government has produced documents including an export strategy.

In December 2015, the Government submitted its communication Policy for sus- 40 Comm. 2015/16:69. tainable business40 to the Riksdag. It was the first of its kind and marked the start of a more ambitious and coherent industrial policy for sustainable business. The communication contains some eighty measures linked to the Government’s goals and ambitions for sustainable business in virtually all policy areas.

56 The Government’s communication was the basis for Sustainable business – the Government’s policy for sustainable business. Here, the Government presents its expectations, views and actions regarding sustainable business. The policy also contains concrete advice and tools for companies seeking to develop their work with sustainable business. The primary target group is Swedish companies – large, medium-sized and small – but also other groups in society with an interest in sustainable business.

In August 2015, the Government also adopted a national action plan for business and human rights. This action plan aims to encourage and requests Swedish companies to comply with internationally recognised human rights in their operations in Sweden and abroad.

In the policy for sustainable business, the Government explicitly highlights its expectation that Swedish companies will comply with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Core Conventions and Tripartite Decla- rations, and the 2030 Agenda.

Swedish Leadership for Sustainable Development

An example of private sector engagement is Swedish Leadership for Sustainable Development (SLSD), which is a network working for good leadership in the field of sustainable development. It consists of 26 leading and influential Swedish enterprises, three expert organisations, Swedfund and Sida. SLSD is a forum for valuable learning and a platform for new partnerships, leadership, concrete cooperative projects and collaborative models for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The network’s members, which have different starting points for the work with sustainable development, have agreed on a joint commitment to contribute to fulfilling the global goals through their respective core activities and cooperation with others. This is to be achieved by:

»» reducing environmental impact and using resources more efficiently (Goal 12),

»» helping to create employment with decent working conditions (Goal 8),

»» combating corruption and unethical conduct (Goal 16), and

»» ensuring gender equality and equal rights for all (Goal 5).

Through its collaboration towards these four global goals, SLSD is in itself an example of partnership in practice (Goal 17). In addition to the common objective, each member of the network also conducts other sustainable development work with a bearing on the 2030 Agenda. SLSD has provided information on around eighty initiatives that represent a selection of the members’ work with the three dimensions of sustainability and that contribute in various ways to the implementation of the Agenda. Two examples are described below.

57 Improving the income of small dairy farmers (Bangladesh)

In a project in Bangladesh (called Dairy Hub), in cooperation with the domestic company PRAN, Tetra Laval has helped to provide small dairy farmers with the opportunity to develop their household production to also cover retail production. The company does this by establishing modern milk centres for the effective and safe storage of delivered milk and by offering tailored technical advisory services. This gives small producers greater knowledge and opportunity to improve their income in a stable manner, at the same time as controlling milk quality. Following a successful initial trial, Sida has supported PRAN to expand the network of milk centres by covering parts of the costs of technical training over three years. The establishment of the first milk centre led to the average monthly income for the small dairy farmers increasing from USD 100 to USD 244 in 60 months. The average production of milk per cow and day increased from 4.45 litres to 10.8 litres, and the quantity of milk delivered per day to the first milk centre increased from 2 000 litres to 41 000 litres.

App for climate-friendly living (Sweden)

In cooperation with several partners including Uppsalahem, the World Wide Fund for Nature, Chalmers University of Technology, the IT company Energimol- net, and supported by Sweden’s innovation agency (Vinnova), ICA in Uppsala has carried out a project called Klimaträtt. Central to the project was an app that gave users automatic weekly feedback on the climate footprint of their consumption of food and other purchases, their use of transport and of how their home was used. Each business partner had developed data for the climate footprint of the company’s products or services. Chalmers University of Technolo- gy was responsible for the quality control and guarantee of comparable data. In March 2015, the residents of one of Uppsalahem’s multi-dwelling buildings were offered six months’ use of the application. At the end of the project, the participants’ climate footprint had decreased by 31 per cent.

State-owned companies

State-owned companies represent a considerable part of Sweden’s business community. The state-owned portfolio covers 48 wholly and partly-owned companies, two of which are publicly listed. The companies employ 137 000 people.

As owner, central government has for several years had a high level of ambition regarding sustainable business (CSR). The Government believes that CSR is a prerequisite for enabling state-owned companies to be successful, modern and innovative. The Government’s starting point in steering the companies is that the business models of state-owned companies are to contribute to value creation in a way that is favourable to sustainable development in the long term. This means that the companies are to minimise the risks of their operations having negative effects. The companies are also to harness opportunities for sustainable value creation and new innovative business models.

The Government wants state-owned companies to be role models in terms of sustainable business. This encompasses strategy, transparency and advanced cooperation with a diversity of stakeholders. For example, since 2007, state-owned

58 companies have published a sustainability report according to the Global Re- porting Standards or other applicable international framework.

The Government sees CSR as an important issue of business strategy. Short and long-term strategies are interrelated, and the decisions made today are to be guided by a concern for the company’s future position in a sustainable world. The companies’ boards are responsible for adopting strategic goals for sustainable business.

The state-owned companies are guided by previous international guidelines, and as of 2017, the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals constitute the overarching framework. The Government wants state-owned companies to be involved in leading the way forward and has therefore included its requirements and expectations for these companies in the new ownership policy adopted by the Government in December 2016. This new ownership policy establishes that the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals are to guide the operations of state-owned companies. The companies are to ana- lyse the global goals and identify the goals that their operations influence and contribute to. The companies are also expected to identify business opportunities that contribute to achieving the global goals.

In 2017, the units responsible for company management at the Government Of- fices are working in various ways to inspire and increase knowledge about the 2030 Agenda and the 17 goals. This has included a well-attended workshop with companies on the theme. The annual seminar, to which the chairs, board members and CEOs of state-owned companies are invited, in 2017 focused on the Agenda. The companies’ continued work will be followed up as part of the ownership dialogue that is continuously conducted between representatives of the owner and the companies.

The many examples of state-owned companies’ current work linked to the 2030 Agenda include:

The mining company LKAB contributes to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in the steel process

The mining company LKAB has long been doing strategic work on sustainability issues. Its continued work has been synchronised with the 2030 Agenda. In 2016, the company adopted a new human rights policy, an updated code of conduct, a new management philosophy and steering document for conflict mi- nerals.

LKAB also has guidelines for land use in terms of both environmental and social aspects. Collaborative agreements have been drawn up to create good conditions for communication and cooperation with the three Sami villages in whose areas LKAB has mines.

Over the past decade, the company has invested in flue gas treatment in all pelletising plants, which has reduced emissions of dust, sulphur dioxides, ch- lorine and fluorine by up to 95 per cent. By 2021, energy intensity is to decrease by 17 per cent and carbon dioxide emissions per tonne of finished products by

59 12 per cent from the 2015 level. Steel production with 100 per cent LKAB pellets already implies a 14 per cent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions over the whole value chain compared with average emissions from European steelworks.

Together with the companies SSAB and Vattenfall, LKAB adopted an initiative in 2016 to make the Swedish steel industry completely carbon-free in the future. This will use hydrogen as the reducing agent instead of fossil carbon.

The company Akademiska Hus develops a campus focusing on the global sustainability goals

Good academic environments at Sweden’s universities and university colleges are an important factor for maintaining the competitiveness of higher education institutions and helping to strengthen Sweden as a knowledge nation. Together with its clients, the company Akademiska Hus develops campus plans that form an integrated framework to guide sustainable development.

In 2016, Akademiska Hus, together with Karolinska Institutet, produced a new campus plan with the goal and vision of improving human health and becoming one of the world’s most advanced life science areas. Integrating Karolinska Insti- tutet’s Campus Solna into the ongoing urban development of the cities of Stock- holm and Solna ensures the long-term sustainability of the entire area.

The vision for Karolinska Institutet – a life science knowledge hub with a green heart – represents an explicit ambition to create a knowledge-intensive, living and sustainable campus characterised by diversity, the continued addition of new activities and greater international exchange.

The methodology used with campus plans aims to generate environments that are sustainable and create value. The plan for Karolinska Institutet’s Campus Solna has been linked to the goals for sustainable development in order to clarify how the plan contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The social partners

The Swedish labour market model is based on a division of responsibility between central government and the social partners. The role of central government is to use appropriate frameworks and other policy instruments to ensure good working conditions and facilitate the establishment of new jobs at the same time as creating conditions for the social partners to use collective agreements to take responsibility for the more detailed design of those conditions. The social partners are important actors for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the global goals.

The international initiative, Global Deal, whose launch Sweden was part of in 2016, is partly based on historical and current experience of dialogue and collaboration between the Swedish social partners.

In 2016 and 2017, the 2030 Agenda delegation has conducted several meetings with representatives of the social partners in order to contribute to mutually increased engagement and to obtain the views and proposals of the various representatives regarding implementation.

60 The trade union organisations and their members are interested in promoting and realising many of the goals. The non-profit association Union to Union, of 41 LO: Swedish Trade Union Confederation. which the trade unions LO41, TCO42 and Saco43 are members, works for good working conditions, democracy, the equitable sharing of resources and sustainable 42 TCO: Swedish Confederation development. It emphasises that all 17 goals are important and that they are in- of Professional Employees. terrelated. At the same time, some of the goals are particularly significant from the viewpoint of these trade unions. These include, for example, Goal 8 (decent 43 Saco: Swedish Confederation work and economic growth), Goal 1 (end poverty in all its forms everywhere), of Professional Associations. Goal 5 (gender equality), Goal 10 (reduced inequality) and Goal 16 (peaceful and inclusive societies).

The employers’ organisation, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, has previously become involved in the work of sustainable business (CSR), which has an explicit link to several of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. The Confe- deration of Swedish Enterprise sees the 2030 Agenda as a positive step forward in global cooperation and maintains that it is good to have a coherent agenda that sees all three dimensions of sustainable development as an indivisible whole. According to the organisation, this can contribute to greater insight into the importance of balancing different societal goals.

Solutions to many of the global challenges are found in the private sector, which contributes technical solutions and services to manage the ecological challenges regarding climate, water and resource consumption, but also provides conditions for reducing disparities through job creation. In its role as a societal actor, the private sector contributes to all the goals. This is true both of large and of small and medium-sized enterprises. Strategic work with the sustainability perspective also promotes the long-term international competitiveness of the private sector.

Civil society organisations

A large number of civil society organisations in Sweden, which operate in the most diverse areas and at different levels nationally, regionally and not least locally, are very interested and active in the work to implement the 2030 Ag- enda. The knowledge and participation of civil society in implementing the Agenda is decisive for being able to achieve the goals and targets. Many organisations’ ordinary activities, and the purposes they have, often have a close link to one or more of the three dimensions of sustainable development, and can be directly linked to the 2030 Agenda. Civil society organisations have an educational task to make this clear to their members and to build fruitfully upon that fact. It also means that it is important that representatives of a series of different authorities recognise and harness the knowledge, opinion and energy in support of the Agenda that exist among civil society organisations and their members. The dialogues conducted by the 2030 Agenda delegation with many civil society organisations in 2016 and 2017 have underlined this.

Civil society plays an important role in Swedish society as regards driving opinion and critically reviewing the country’s authorities and other important actors to ensure that they are living up to the 2030 Agenda and the goals for sustainable development. With their knowledge and idea-driven force, the many organisations in civil society are also important potential actors for creating

61 new partnerships with the public sector, the private sector, the research community and other organisations.

There are many examples of civil society activities that are directly applicable to the 2030 Agenda and its implementation in Sweden. The following gives some examples of initiatives in which various civil society actors cooperate across boundaries.

The Swedish Somali Business Programme

Forum Syd together with Business Sweden, and with financing from Sida, has developed the Swedish Somali Business Programme, which aims to develop knowledge and capacity for sustainable business. The programme’s goal is to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start up and develop sustainable business activities in Somalia. The intention is both to increase investments in Somalia and to strengthen the private sector from a rights perspective by creating jobs and lasting self-sufficiency for Somalis and by contributing to an inclusive development in the longer term.

Källan

The Stockholm City Mission runs Källan in Fisksätra Church. This activity is ope- rated through interreligious dialogue between Nacka parish (within the Church of Sweden), the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm, the Stockholm City Mission and the Nacka Muslims Association. The activity aims to support people living in social vulnerability and promote their integration into society through activities such as language courses, girls’ groups, theatre, parents’ groups and help with contacting authorities.

LGBTQ certification

The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights (RFSL) works with the LGBTQ certification of socially important activities and organisations in society to make norms visible, create an inclusive work environment and promote a welcoming atmosphere. Examples of activities that are certified are elderly care, schools and healthcare, companies and associations. RFSL has, inter alia, worked with the internal organisational culture of football clubs and the physical design of public swimming baths.

Energifallet

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the company IKEA want to help make it easier for schools to achieve the curriculum objectives of sustainable development and so jointly run sustainability training, Energifallet. The project offers educational materials on sustainable development, develops proposals for working methods in cooperation with school researchers and gives classes from grades 7-9 the opportunity to meet employees at IKEA stores. A specially designed study visit at a nearby IKEA store aims to create greater awareness among Swedish teenagers about questions of lifestyle, consumer influence and sustainable societal development.

62 The research community

Advanced research contributes to the development of society in various areas and in many ways, including by discovering and explaining negative or threa- tening phenomena. A well-known example concerns climate change. As early as in the 1890s, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius demonstrated the existence of climate change and that it was man-made.

Higher education and research are today indispensable activities for being able to deal with the global challenges and contribute to achieving the goals set in the 2030 Agenda. The research community very much needs to be active and work together with other stakeholders. This requires researchers and knowledge institutions to be given adequate opportunities and resources to develop their work. The research community also plays an important role in the scientific review and follow-up of the sustainability work. In a digitalised world that is increasingly characterised by an endless flow of information, and where so called alternative facts have become common in recent times, it is also urgent to safeguard an independent research community and an international exchange of knowledge on a scientific basis.

The contribution of world-class research

Swedish universities and university colleges contribute considerable knowledge and research findings in several different areas, often under the same roof. The results contribute to the development of methods, products and policies for sustainable development. With its cutting-edge expertise and research in the field of health, Karolinska Institutet is an example of this, and the Swedish Uni- versity of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) with research on sustainable agricultural and rural development is another. For example, can – and if so how – sustainable production increases be achieved, in Sweden and in other parts of the world? Of all SLU’s scientifically reviewed publications, 20 per cent have been produced in cooperation with colleagues in low and middle-income countries.

Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, KTH Royal Institute of Tech- nology in Stockholm and Luleå University of Technology are other research and innovation centres where sustainability issues are central and where there are international contacts and various kinds of cooperation with other partners. For example, in its activities, Chalmers University of Technology has produced a clear vision for a sustainable future. As of 2017, the sustainable development goals are also integrated into the University’s internal goal and budget processes.

Global and interdisciplinary knowledge and research institutes, such as the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Stockholm Resilience Cen- tre (SRC), are other examples of activities with advanced research. The results and the ability to present them also to a broader audience generate important contributions and impetus for the work in Sweden to implement the 2030 Ag- enda internationally. SEI and SRC have branches around the world and attract researchers from many countries.

63 The interdisciplinary research and collaboration between the research community and the surrounding society is of great importance to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and will undergo further development in Sweden. In the parliamentary year 2016/2017, the Riksdag treated and adopted two important government bills on research.

The bill Collaborating for knowledge – for society’s challenges and strengthe- 44 Govt Bill 2016/17:50. ned competitiveness44 submitted proposals for the long-term orientation of research policy, with a focus on investments until 2020. Three international and two national areas are stated in the bill to be particularly important societal challenges and priorities in the coming decade. The three international challenges concern climate, digitalisation and health and life sciences. The two national challenges concern creating sustainable spatial planning and raising the quality of the Swedish school system. The proposals in the research bill also involve the start of seven new ten-year national research programmes. These programmes are based on collaboration between researchers, research funding bodies and societal actors. The national programmes are to be linked to relevant international research programmes. The seven new programmes focus on the following areas that are of significance to the implementation of several parts of the 2030 Agenda:

»» climate,

»» sustainable spatial planning,

»» social housing policy,

»» migration and integration,

»» antibiotic resistance,

»» applied welfare research, and

»» working life research.

The proposals in the Government’s bill Research and innovation in the area of 45 Govt Bill 2016/17:66. energy for ecological sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply45 is in line with the Riksdag’s 2016 framework agreement for Swedish energy policy, known as the Agreement on Swedish energy policy, which specifies these three particular pillars.

Research in collaboration and partnerships

The following presents some illustrative examples of initiatives being carried out by the Swedish research community in collaboration and partnership with several other actors.

Water and Seas

Every year, World Water Week is held in Stockholm, gathering hundreds of water experts from all over the world. Stockholm International Water Institute or-

64 ganises the week and leads a variety of projects and programmes that employ evidence-based research to contribute to the implementation of a variety of water-related goals in the 2030 Agenda. One such programme is the Sweden Tex- tile Water Initiative, which is partially financed by Sida. The programme brings together researchers and representatives from the private sector to ensure that the textile industry takes responsibility for water issues in their operations. The work has led to a greater understanding and knowledge among all the actors involved about rights and obligations concerning water issues. The initiative has also contributed to reducing pollution and increasing resource efficiency in the use of water, energy and chemicals in textile production. Thousands of workers have been trained in sustainable water use in several hundred factories in China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Ethiopia.

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) actively contributes to knowledge-building for a better marine environment, focusing on waters surrounding the coast of Sweden, that is the Baltic Sea, Kattegatt and Skagerrak. Together with the fishing industry and national authorities, SLU develops selec- tive methods that aim to reduce unwanted catches in Swedish fishing. Stock- holm Resilience Center (SRC) also works with the fishing industry and recently organised a high-level dialogue with some of the world’s most influential food companies in the fishing industry. This resulted in commitments to improve transparency and traceability and to reduce the occurrence of illegal fishing in the companies’ supply chains.

Resilient societies and landscape-based approaches for sustainable land use

There is an increasing insight into the need for integrating resilience into development measures in several sectors, scales and regions. This recognition deri- ves from the dual challenge of increased social and environmental turbulence in an increasingly globalised world. Given how urgent it is to meet the need for development in poor and vulnerable countries, at the same time as their life-sustaining ecosystems are under great pressure, it is becoming increasingly important to find solutions to create resilient societies and manage natural resources sustainably.

SRC is the host of Guidance for Resilience in the Anthropocene: Investment for Development, which is an initiative that is to act as a strategic knowledge partner with aims to identify and scale locally driven, high-impact, innovative solutions in order to contribute to creating resilient societies for hundreds of millions of people in the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Sida finances the initiative.

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an active partner in the global network Independent Research Forum, which consists of ten leading research institutes and think tanks for sustainable development around the world. Through various symposia and meetings, it works with experts and negotiators for sustainable development in order to increase knowledge and understanding of the 2030 Ag- enda and to build capacity for its implementation.

65 SEI also hosts the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIA- NI), which supports and promotes knowledge development and the communication of information on issues concerning poverty reduction through sustainable agriculture and global food security. SIANI works in line with the approach of the Policy for Global Development and acts across sectors in collaboration with a large number of partners in the Swedish resource base. By highlighting problems and receiving contributions from different sectors, SIANI works for sustainable land use with a landscape-based approach together with other Swedish networks and clusters, such as Agroforestry Network and Stockholm Internatio- nal Water Institute’s cluster group, Water in the landscape. This is also increasingly receiving global attention through work such as that carried out by the Center for International Forestry Research in the context of the Global Lands- cape Forum, normally held in conjunction with global climate negotiations. A landscape-based approach is able to highlight any conflicting goals and pursue possible synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

International cooperation

Sweden acts internationally in many areas and in a variety of forms to implement the 2030 Agenda: bilaterally in its relations with other states and international actors; as member of the EU; as member state of the UN system and in international financial institutions. Sweden has long pursued an active foreign policy, both in the immediate surrounding area and globally.

The most important tool for contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Ag- enda outside Sweden’s borders is the Policy for Global Development. The policy aims to consistently strive for coherence between different policy areas in which conditions, decisions and measures in Sweden have a direct or indirect link to the Agenda and its global goals and targets, not only in Sweden but also in other parts of the world. This might concern conditions or relations in a large number of areas, such as foreign policy and security issues, trade issues, environmental and climate issues, consumption and production patterns, growth and energy issues, migration and refugee issues, respect for human rights, health and education, labour market and jobs, poverty and socio-economic vulnerability, armed conflicts as well as terrorism and violence. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the new global framework for financing sustainable development, is an integral part of, and means for, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

In autumn 2014, the Government launched its feminist foreign policy. This means that Sweden is also globally intensifying its work for gender equality and the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls. The feminist foreign policy is based on the four Rs. In all it does, the Foreign Service shall strive to strengthen the rights, representation and resources of all women and girls on the 46 See also Section 7. basis of knowledge about the reality in which they live.46

Sweden’s development cooperation and its humanitarian aid are explicitly focused on supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and bringing together the three dimensions of sustainability. Sweden’s aid annually amounts to about 1 per cent of the country’s GNI.

66 In order to strengthen the global work for the 2030 Agenda, Sweden has initiated the campaign #FirstGeneration, which is run in collaboration with international and local actors. This campaign aims for new and younger target groups to take on challenges that are linked to the global sustainable development goals. Given that almost half of the world’s population is under the age of 25, the key to a sustainable future is the ability to convert knowledge into engagement among young pupils and students. The campaign will help to create engagement, strengthen communication and broaden the popular support for the 2030 Agenda and the global goals. #FirstGeneration is a part of the public diplomacy work conducted by Sweden and Swedish missions abroad around the world. By collaborating with a diversity of actors, Sweden wants to help influence the work of other countries in a positive direction.

The European Union

Within the EU, Sweden works and contributes in all areas so that the Union’s policy, strategies and actions, both inside and outside the EU, will be characterised and guided by the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals. Developing the joint strength of the EU in support of the Agenda is an important factor for the ability of Europe and the world to achieve the goals.

One of many concrete examples of Sweden’s contributions within the Union is the EU’s decision in March 2017 on what is to apply to the EU emissions trading system in the future. The new trading system is adapted to the Paris climate agreement. In negotiations, Sweden gained a hearing for several proposals to enhance the system, including those regarding the price of emissions and the removal of more allowances from the market.

In May 2017, the EU adopted its new development policy, The New European Consensus on Development, which is within the framework of and adapted to the 2030 Agenda and the three dimensions of sustainable development. Develop- ment policy is an important tool for the EU and its Member States in their work to implement the Agenda and fulfil the sustainable development goals. Council conclusions have been adopted in June 2017 regarding how the internal and external policies of the EU are to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

As regards negotiations on the reform of the EU’s common asylum policy, Sweden is pursuing greater solidarity and the shared responsibility of all Member Sta- tes. The Riksdag has decided to temporarily adapt Swedish asylum legislation to the minimum level applicable under EU law and international conventions.

In all of these and other processes, Sweden has worked for the EU to make ambitious and complementary use of the tools at its disposal in relation to national and other international initiatives. Within the EU, Sweden has gained a hearing for the view that the implementation of the Agenda should lead to a conversion for sustainability, which includes issues such as gender equality, human rights, the environment, peace and security, sustainable business, trade, social dialogue and reproductive health.

67 68 The United Nations and international financial institutions

Support for the UN and the UN Charter has long been a cornerstone of Swedish foreign policy. Throughout the UN system, including the Security Council during the current mandate period (2017-2018), Sweden works to strengthen support for and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the various agencies’ and institutions’ policies, decisions and concrete initiatives around the world. The annual follow-up of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals at HLPF is an urgent task. Sweden has long provided considerable financial support to the different parts of the UN system.

Sweden views it as important to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda that the UN and its Member States give particular attention to the links between conflict prevention and development. Leadership is necessary for being able to manage effects in these and other areas that can also arise from climate change. Gender equality and the rights and participation of women and girls at all levels are important goals in themselves and conditions for being able to achieve all 17 goals.

In various ways, Sweden wholeheartedly supports the ambitions to move forward in the reform and modernisation of the UN system. There is a need for a more integrated and coherent working method, centrally and at the country level. Sweden provides financial support, inter alia, to the Resident Coordinator system that coordinates the UN’s work at the country level and the 2030 Agenda coordination from the Secretary-General’s office. Sweden also works to increase core funding for UN funds and programmes as this is a prerequisite for long-term and sustainable development cooperation.

Sweden worked actively to increase solidarity and shared responsibility in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and for the IOM to be incorporated into the UN, and sees this as an important part of the work to facilitate an effective refugee and migration policy and the work with the global frameworks Global Compact on Refugees and Global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.

Sweden is active in a series of international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund and the regional investment and development banks, so that their operations will contribute to the 2030 Agenda in accordance with their respective mandates. The institutions have an important role for, for example the low-interest financing of projects that contribute to sustainable development, the mobilisation of funds for projects from the private sector and for providing member countries with consultation and technical assistance.

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda

The 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda are interconnected. The latter is an important guide for and an integral part of the operational implementation work. To indicate the importance of the Addis Ababa Action Agen- da and its link to the 2030 Agenda, the Government has compiled the report, Towards Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals:

69 Report on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. The report was presented at the Financing for Development Forum in New York in late May 2017. It contains a large number of examples of activities and measures in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda’s seven different areas that have been implemented by Swedish actors at various levels, from government and authorities, the private sector and civil society organisations. The intention of the report and the many examples is to show what is operationally being done in Sweden for financing for development in accordance with the Ag- enda and at the same time to stimulate discussion at and after the meeting in New York.

International development cooperation

Since the 1960s, Sweden has had a tradition of a generous and ambitious international development cooperation and humanitarian aid. In 1975, Sweden be- came the first country to achieve the UN target for aid to constitute at least 0.7 per cent of the country’s GNI. However, Sweden’s goal is higher; aid is to reach 1 per cent of GNI. Since 2006 Sweden’s development cooperation has amounted to about 1 per cent of GNI.

The overall goal of Swedish international aid as established by the Riksdag is to create better circumstances for people living in poverty and oppression. Since late 2016, Sweden has had a new policy framework for development cooperation and humanitarian aid. This lays down the more detailed orientation of aid and is directly linked to the new development agenda that was established in 2015 in connection with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, new commitments in the area of financing for development in the form of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris climate agreement. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is also treated in the framework.

In the policy framework, the Government specifies two overarching perspectives for Swedish development cooperation: poor people’s perspective on development and the rights perspective. In addition, the Government highlights a further three perspectives: a conflict perspective, a gender equality perspective and an environment and climate perspective.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the presiding responsibility for development policy. The authority responsible for the majority of Swedish development cooperation is Sida. This agency works with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at three different levels: in operational aid through supporting interventions and dialogue at the country, regional and global levels; in the normative work through support for and collaboration with multilateral and international organisations; and in Sweden together with other Swedish stakeholders, including the Government Offices, other authorities, civil society, the private sector and research institutions. International work and operational aid are central and have a clear influence on about half of the 17 global goals (Goals 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16 and 17). Some examples of the many interventions being implemented are given below.

70 Social safety nets for greater job opportunities (Tanzania)

The Productive Social Safety Net programme in Tanzania focuses on the ten per cent of the country’s households which are poorest. It has three main compo- nents: conditional cash payments; targeted public jobs initiatives; and support for developing the ability of households to support themselves. Cash payments are made every two months to households that commit to ensuring that the household’s school-age children actually go to school and that the household’s small children regularly visit a health clinic. The support is always paid to the adult woman in the household, provided that the household includes an adult woman. The cash payments cover families in the whole country and are made in 70 per cent of Tanzania’s poorest villages. The targeted public jobs initiatives are currently being implemented and cover a quarter of the districts in the country. The measures are deployed during the part of the year when access to food for poor people is reduced. The need for interventions is identified by the village assemblies in accordance with certain criteria, which also include consideration of the environment and climate change. Support for developing the ability of poor households to support themselves is in a start-up phase. The intention is to increase the opportunities of participating households to take themselves out of poverty.

The programme covers several of the goals of the 2030 Agenda. The poverty focus is explicit, with a strong emphasis that no one shall be left behind. The intervention requires national ownership and domestic co-financing.

SRHR for girls and young women (Mozambique)

This intervention is an integrated UN programme, at the Government’s request, to promote and protect the enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) by girls and young women. The intervention adopts a holistic perspective that sees the girls and young women as empowered individuals, and not as victims. Greater knowledge, independence and ability in terms of their own health also promote women’s participation in community life and their own economic opportunities. The intervention also aims to change general insight into the importance of SRHR, both locally and at government level. The programme is conducted jointly, under the auspices of the UNFPA, by UNICEF, UN Women and UNESCO.

The intervention is an example of partnership between the Government of Mo- zambique and the international community, where the common response from the UN system is given in good “delivering as one” spirit.

Improved relations in the clothing industry (Cambodia)

This project aims to improve relations in Cambodia’s clothing industry through a mixture of consultation and capacity support at three levels: the company level, the sector level and the national level. The intention is for this also to help improve the working conditions, wages and professional skills of workers in the country’s textile industry.

71 At the company level, the project works with a well-known international clothing company, H&M, in order to obtain commitments from other companies to implement an agreement to improve conditions in the clothing industry. The agreement includes eliminating injustice and promoting good working conditions, including collective bargaining and gender equality. At the sector level, the project works with the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia and the major trade unions in order to promote knowledge and interest regarding the memorandum on working conditions and national legislation in the labour market, and to increase negotiation skills. At the national level, the project works with the Ministry of Labour in order to increase conciliation skills and to support legislative work and regulations. The Swedish trade union IF Metall has conducted training at the company level.

The intervention is a multi-party cooperation with national Cambodian coun- terparts, including those from the public sector, international and local companies, trade unions and the ILO. The project also links to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development.

Sustainable tax systems

Many developing countries are among those hardest hit by international tax av- oidance. There is a need for more than one developed information exchange to enable developing countries to detect and counteract tax evasion and to collect taxes in accordance with their national tax legislations. The support for capacity building in the area given by various international organisations and countries is of great importance. Sweden supports this work, partly through aid-financed interventions undertaken by the Swedish Tax Agency in, for example, Kenya, Mo- zambique, Cambodia and Moldova.

The coordination of the various capacity-building interventions is an urgent matter. Sweden will be engaged in strengthening international cooperation on capacity building in the tax area.

Conflicts of objectives and interests are to be identified and managed

The current and future work to realise the 17 sustainable development goals in Sweden and to contribute to global implementation can encounter various conflicts of objectives and interests. The Government views it as urgent and as a natural part of the policy coherence perspective to identify potential or actual conflicts, in order to as rationally as possible make informed trade-offs and choices when implementing the 2030 Agenda.

The following gives two brief examples of conflicts of objectives and interests. These and several other examples are treated in the Government’s communica- 47 Comm. 2015/16:182. tion Policy for Global Development in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda47.

Consumption and sustainable development

Swedish consumption can contribute to an equitable and sustainable global development. According to calculations from Statistics Sweden, food and transport, for example, each account for about one third of the total consump-

72 tion-based emissions of households. The calculations show a decreasing trend for emissions from housing, while emissions from transport and food have increased somewhat compared with 1993. It is primarily the emissions occurring in other countries that accounts for this increase, partly as a result of increased food imports and increased international travel.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency assesses that measures to reduce climate impact from air travel and meat consumption are particularly urgent. Many consumers want to contribute to sustainable development. Product labelling, such as energy labelling, voluntary environmental labelling and reliable information on the fuel consumption and emissions of cars are a tool to make it easier for consumers to make environmentally smart and climate-smart choices. Besides this, there is a need for societal structures and economic incentives that make it easy for households and companies to act sustainably. Voluntary eco-labelling can also facilitate sustainable public procurement. The emergence of various labelling systems can contribute to a shift in production and consumption patterns.

At the same time, it is important that the emergence of various labelling systems does not contribute to trade barriers for companies and exporters, particularly in developing countries. Sweden wants to be a leading country for a free and equitable world trade, in part by integrating issues of development, poverty reduction, working conditions, gender equality and the environment in trade policy. The EU’s free trade agreements with third countries are intended to contribute to social justice and improvements to public health and the environment. In addition to the EU’s free trade agreements encouraging the implementation of international agreements on labour law and environmental agreements, there is cooperation on issues relevant to the countries in question, such as sustainable fisheries and the use of chemicals, as well as cooperation on issues concerning sustainable business (CSR). Sweden is working for progressive international trade agreements that tear down trade barriers and integrate issues of development, poverty reduction, working conditions, gender equality and the environment. Education at all levels, as well as research and the utilisation of research results, is of great importance to giving citizens knowledge and skills for contributing to a transition process and to meeting the needs of companies for the right skills for a green transition.

To promote sustainable consumption, it is also important to take measures in the countries of production, as close as possible to the source of the problem. For example, this might involve capacity building at relevant authorities in developing countries and helping to convert production. It is important to support the scientific and technological capacity of developing countries in order to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. In order to develop relevant strategies, it is also important to continue the work to identify the product groups that have the greatest environmental and climate impact, as well as the most important trade partners that Sweden has for these product groups.

Sustainable food systems and the reduction of food wastage are central. Wasta- ge occurs throughout the food chain. Households account for a large proportion of the total food wastage in Sweden. Agriculture and the extraction of products from the sea have an impact on the environment and climate. Establishing sus-

73 tainable agriculture is a challenge for many countries. Frequently, large quan- tities of water and energy are expended on primary production, resources that are often in short supply, especially for people living in poverty. There is potential for reducing these environmental problems through adapted measures in agricultural production, but also by reducing unnecessary food wastage in the food chain. Together with Japan and WWF International, Sweden has committed to leading the Programme on Sustainable Lifestyles and Education, which is part of the UN 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns. Under the Rio de Janeiro decision in 1992, the OECD countries are to be leaders and support developing countries in their transition work. The goal is to guarantee the programme’s contribution to the handling of global challenges, such as climate change and adaptation, poverty reduction, social well-being, effective resource management and the conservation of biodiversity.

Enterprise on difficult markets

Many Swedish companies today run operations globally, often in what are known as difficult or challenging markets, and through global supplier chains and business relationships. Difficult markets are often characterised by political, social and environmental challenges that can lead to various conflicts of objectives and interests in relation to an equitable and sustainable global development. This might involve insufficient respect for human rights, gender equality and working conditions, environmental and climate impact, as well as problems with corruption. Capital flight and tax evasion can be a particular challenge for countries with weak institutions and the occurrence of corruption. The Govern- ment’s basic outlook is that it is positive that Swedish companies are acting in such markets and that this can contribute to influencing societal development in a sustainable direction.

48 Comm. 2015/16:48. The Swedish Government’s export strategy from 201548 aims to strengthen the opportunities of Swedish companies for export and internationalisation in important growth markets around the world. One goal of the export strategy is to strengthen Swedish competitiveness and to create employment and growing companies in Sweden. Increased exports and internationalisation also contributes to economic development in the countries with which Swedish companies trade and work. However, several of these growth markets are characterised by challenges relating to sustainable development and respect for human rights. It is of particular importance that Swedish companies act sustainably, as role models and in line with international guidelines. This can prevent conflicts of objectives and interests from arising.

Contacts and trade between people and countries are fundamentally positive and can foster values such as democracy, equality, gender equality and respect for human rights, and contribute to the work with environmental and climate challenges. Companies can contribute to more transparency and dialogue, which can strengthen forces for reform in countries with a lower degree of free- dom and thereby lead to society developing in a more sustainable direction. For this reason, coherence is to be sought between the work with export targets and the contribution to an equitable and sustainable development globally. The Swedish Government’s policy for sustainable business (CSR) is an important

74 part of this and a foundation stone of export strategy and state export promotion. Swedish export promotion is to be characterised by a high ethical standard, and Swedish companies are to be role models for how issues of social and environmental responsibility should be integrated into business activities. They are to take environmental consideration and respect human rights in all their activities. Among other things, this requires particular attention when doing business in countries where these issues and rights are weak or not fully respected. The Government encourages Swedish companies to engage in dialogue on human rights in working life with various stakeholders, including representatives of trade unions and civil society. Furthermore, the Government expects Swedish companies to apply an explicit anti-corruption policy and encourages the companies to produce a tax policy and an internal control system.

75 7 Special themes and Swedish initiatives

This section highlights some examples of themes and initiatives that underline Sweden’s will and demonstrate its tangible work to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in collaboration and partnership with other stakeholders.

Gender equality, women’s rights and feminist foreign policy

Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda is a demanding goal and a theme that cuts across all countries and stakeholders. Sweden sees it as urgent to continuously develop knowledge and exchange experience with other countries and stakeholders regarding the daily and strategic work for gender equality. Gender equality is simultaneously a goal in itself and an indispensable means for being able to achieve all the other goals of the 2030 Agenda. For Sweden, work at national level and its feminist foreign policy are both expressions of this approach.

That women and men are to have the same power to shape society and their own lives is a human right and an issue of democracy and justice. The Government has taken a series of measures to ensure that the gender equality perspective is systematically decisive for prioritisations when making decisions and alloca- ting resources within all policy areas. These include the strengthening of the application of gender equality budgeting in the state budget and the implementing of a development programme for gender mainstreaming within authorities. The Government has also entered into an agreement with municipalities and county councils to strengthen the focus of local and regional gender equality work on men, boys and masculinity issues until the end of 2017. A special national gender equality agency will be established from 1 January 2018.

The goal of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls can never be achieved without the participation of men and boys in the work. In order to highlight issues about men and gender equality and the integration of these issues in the gender equality work, Sweden will convene an international conference in May 2018 hosted by the Minister for Gender Equality. The conference is the fourth in the series, International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities, with participants primarily from Europe. The theme of the conference is masculinity and its catchphrase “Challenging norms, Changing ways”.

As the report has shown in previous sections, some of the goals concerning gender equality have been achieved as far as Sweden is concerned. However, the

76 elimination of all forms of violence against all women in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation remains an important challenge. In Sweden, the work with targets 5.2 and 5.3 also encompasses phenomena such as prostitution and the commercialisation and exploitation of the female body in advertising, media and pornography. The Go- vernment is actively working to prevent and combat men’s violence against women and has produced a ten-year national strategy for a more targeted and coor- dinated work that particularly emphasises prevention initiatives. As part of the strategy’s implementation, the Government is setting aside SEK 600 million for an action programme of new initiatives in 2017-2020, in addition to just over SEK 300 million in development funds to municipalities and county councils.

The feminist foreign policy

The feminist foreign policy is based on four Rs and means that, in all it does, the Swedish Foreign Service shall strive to strengthen the rights, representation and resources of all women and girls on the basis of knowledge about the reality in which they live.

The work with the feminist foreign policy is integrated and employs special interventions; both multilateral and bilateral. Various tools are used, such as ongoing horizon scanning, alliance-building and advocacy. Implementation is guided by an action plan and has gained impetus from systematic internal work at the Foreign Service. This has included a concrete review of the Servi- ce’s procedures, templates, guidelines and authority governance to ensure that these support the policy. In line with this, documents including the Ordinan- ce (2010:1080) with instructions for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the guidance for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ contribution management have been given stronger wording with respect to gender mainstreaming.

The feminist foreign policy has made an impression. In the area of multilateral work, the contribution by the Foreign Service includes that the 2030 Agenda requires both targeted and integrated gender equality work, that humanitarian work is conducted with greater gender equality awareness, that climate funds and development banks have adopted gender equality policies, that OECD-DAC donors are reviewing how they might increase support for women’s organisations, that the UN Security Council treats issues about women, peace and security in a more integrated manner and receives reports directly from women’s organisations, that an international initiative by countries and organisations has led to 300 concrete commitments to prevent and increase protection against gender-based violence in humanitarian crises and that both countries and other actors have made extra commitments for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Sweden’s work in the EU has included being a driving force for the Union’s new gender equality plan (GAP II) to encompass all external work and contain a system of accountability. Sweden has also contributed to the European External Action Service’s establishment of a high-level advisor for gender equality and women, peace and security and is developing its work against sexual and gender-based violence in conflict.

77 The contribution of Sweden’s broad bilateral cooperation has included that France and Ireland have adopted legislation on the purchase of sexual services similar to that of Sweden, that Zambia and South Sudan have more trained midwives thanks to support from Sweden, that Tunisia is expanding its childcare inspired by visits to Sweden, that Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina have with the support of Sweden reviewed their work with women, peace and security, and that Guatemala and Uganda have collaborated with Sweden and the International Criminal Court to strengthen the ability of their national legal systems to prosecute crimes concerning sexual and gender-based violence. Through means including dialogue and financial support, Sweden has also been able to help increase the participation of women in the peace processes in, for example, Colombia, Libya, Mali, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq.

International climate support

Swedish development cooperation is based on, and is permeated by, an environmental and climate perspective. Sweden actively supports developing countries in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions as part of the Paris Agreement, including through support for emissions reductions and climate adaptation and through capacity development.

Sida has strengthened its work in several areas to ensure that environmental and climate aspects are observed and integrated into activities. There has been a tangible increase in interventions that integrate an environmental and climate perspective. The focus is on interventions for more efficient irrigation and climate-adapted agriculture; renovation of ponds; establishment of early warning systems both nationally and regionally; reforestation; infrastructure investments to prevent flooding; and renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

In its multilateral cooperation, Sweden contributes to a high degree to international climate financing. Sweden is today the largest donor per capita both to the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility and is the sixth and eighth largest donor to each fund in absolute figures. The Green Climate Fund is expected to become a central actor for climate financing in developing countries and today constitutes the single largest multilateral climate fund. The role of the Global Environ- ment Facility as a financial mechanism for the UN’s five climate and environmental 49 UNFCC, CBD, UNCCD, POPs och Minamata. conventions49 and their activities is decisive for being able to deliver results and contribute to the opportunities of developing countries to fulfil their commitments under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. Sweden also provides financial support to a number of other multilateral climate funds. Through active board work in these institutions, Sweden works to prioritise a climate and aid policy orientation of the policy framework. Among other things, Sweden has been successful in improving access to climate financing for the least developed countries and Small Island Developing States in order to assist these countries in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions as part of the Paris Agreement.

Sweden has also actively worked for greater collaboration with the private sector and for the transition of global financial flows into a low-carbon and climate-resilient direction in accordance with the Paris Agreement. For example, Sweden conducts active dialogue with international financial institutions on the long-term phasing out of all support for fossil fuels.

78 Sweden has also initiated an international study on the multilateral climate financing architecture in order to contribute to increased efficiency and coherence. Better cooperation and increased specialisation between the funds is a prerequisite for being able to mobilise and channel large-scale climate financing.

Environmental and climate issues also remain high on Sweden’s agenda in its work at the multilateral development banks. In the latest negotiations on the re- plenishment of the World Bank’s fund for low-income countries, the Internatio- nal Development Association (IDA), Sweden has gained a hearing for a number of new climate commitments that make the fund a key player in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The World Bank is to develop climate risk assess- ments, increase renewable energy production in IDA countries, ensure that all the bank’s country strategies reflect the recipient countries’ national climate plans, and support the implementation of at least ten of these. In addition, it is to apply a shadow price on carbon dioxide to all activities in relevant sectors.

UN Ocean Conference in New York in 2017

Together with Fiji, Sweden initiated the UN Ocean Conference in New York on 5-9 June 2017 and also financed the conference. The initiative is a substantial contribution to the international implementation of the 2030 Agenda and, in particular, the work to achieve Goal 14 on seas and marine resources. At present, the oceans are developing in the wrong direction. The least developed countries and small island states are particularly vulnerable and dependent on the oceans. It is important that the Ocean Conference yields results that take into account these countries and poor populations in coastal communities and implements concrete measures to support them. There is a need for a concerted effort from the international community to reverse the negative development.

Sweden’s hope is that the Ocean Conference will mobilise a renewed and expanded commitment by governments, the private sector, the research community and knowledge institutions, and civil society that leads to effective measures to achieve Goal 14 and its seven targets. The conference is intended to stimulate increased cooperation and new and innovative partnerships.

Through the political and action-oriented declaration of the conference, Call for Action, the UN Member States indicate the way for continued measures for sustainable oceans.

States, together with various different stakeholders from the private sector, civil society and the knowledge society, are requested at the conference to announce voluntary concrete commitments to support the work to achieve Goal 14 on seas and marine resources at the national, regional and international levels. The intention is also that the interactive partnership dialogues during the conference itself, focusing on the seven targets under Goal 14, will result in substantial recommendations for the continued international work to achieve this global goal.

The results of the conference will contribute to the regular follow-up of the 2030 Agenda, primarily as part of HLPF.

79 In its work with the Ocean Conference, Sweden has chosen to focus on four areas. Firstly, highlighting the challenges facing the poorest countries, regions and populations, especially the least developed countries and Small Island Deve- loping States. Secondly, a focus has been placed on reducing the pollution and littering of the oceans. More than 80 per cent of all pollutants and litter in the oceans come from sources on land. Particularly worrying is the extent of plastics that end up in the oceans. Sweden’s third priority is to pursue the development of a sustainable ocean-based economy. It is necessary to halt the unsustainable utilisation of the oceans’ fish stocks. Illegal and unregulated fishing, which is also not reported, depletes marine resources and impairs the opportunities for a sustainable livelihood, especially for poor people. The fourth priority is to clarify the link between seas and climate. Greenhouse gas emissions affect the climate, heat and acidify the oceans and contribute to the rise in sea level. This means an increased vulnerability for coastal ecosystems and communities. It is of decisive importance to ocean biodiversity to halt climate change and to restore and protect the ecosystems.

Support for the UN Ocean Conference is a tangible expression of Sweden’s continued and increasing global commitment to the goals of the 2030 Agenda. As mentioned above, marine issues will also receive greater focus as part of Sweden’s international development cooperation.

The Global Deal initiative

Global Deal is a partnership in line with Goal 17 in order to contribute to the achievement of various of the goals of the 2030 Agenda, above all Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth and Goal 10 on reduced inequality.

Global Deal was launched in New York in September 2016 by Sweden’s Prime Minister, together with the heads of the ILO and the OECD, and a core group of countries, companies, employers’ organisations, trade unions and other organisations. The aim of the Global Deal initiative is to promote and strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between the social partners in order to improve terms of employment and productivity. Effective labour market relations and decent work contribute to reduced inequality and an inclusive economic development to the benefit of workers, companies and societies.

The foundation of the initiative is the Global Deal declaration that an interested partner endorses. By signing the declaration, which is not an agreement, the partner undertakes to make voluntary commitments in relation to the context in which the actor operates. Under the declaration, this voluntary commitment includes the following:

»» for states, Global Deal means ratifying or making sustained efforts towards ratifying and respecting the ILO’s fundamental conventions,

»» for employers, Global Deal means operating with social responsibility and being prepared to negotiate agreements locally, nationally, regionally or globally, and

80 »» for trade unions, Global Deal means acting in accordance with their social responsibilities when they negotiate, but also contributing to the overall development of the company or the organisation.

Examples of commitments include developing interventions to increase the capacity of a country’s labour market institutions, entering into various kinds of cooperative projects between interested parties, strengthening the work with social dialogue at the national, regional and international levels, and developing platforms for dialogue and experience exchange on important issues.

Associated countries are currently: Angola, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Bel- gium, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Sweden. Several other countries have expressed interest in joining the initiative. Several companies, trade unions and other organisations are associated partners.

In 2017, a series of international meetings will be arranged with a view to developing Global Deal work. It is hoped that more partner countries, companies, trade unions and other organisations will become associated in 2017. One focus will be on strengthening the cooperation with representatives of the private sector. Studies will be performed, including the Business Case for Global Deal. The work is carried out in close cooperation with the OECD and the ILO. A first Global Deal Flagship report will be produced in 2017.

In the initial phase, Sweden has committed itself to hosting the Secretariat and providing some coordination of the Global Deal. It is envisaged that the coordination in 2018 will be assumed by an established international organisation.

Innovation policy and strategic collaborative programmes

The many challenges encompassed by the 2030 Agenda need to be analysed and handled multi-dimensionally in forward-looking partnerships. The National Innovation Council is an advisory body to the Swedish Government. It is led by the Prime Minister and consists of five ministers and ten advisory members from the private sector and the research community. Dialogue takes place in collaboration with the private sector, the social partners, the research community and other relevant actors.

The Innovation Council deals with issues of importance to economic policy and issues of the Government’s innovation policy as expressed in areas such as enterprise, research, trade, environment, administrative, digitalisation and regional policy. Examples of areas dealt with by the Council are the research and innovation bill, entrepreneurship, public procurement, risk capital, the export strategy, policy innovation, norm-critical innovation, the Space Inquiry and the 2030 Agenda.

Innovation work can contribute to the achievement of most of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. Many of the global goals require an innovation-driven development to be achieved. Examples of the many areas include health, education, climate and ecosystems on land and at sea, sustainable energy and urban development.

81 Based on discussions in the Innovation Council, the Government has established five strategic collaborative programmes. These programmes are to drive innovation in industry and society. The programmes involve a developed cooperation between polical representatives, authorities, industry, civil society and higher education. The discussions are conducted at a high strategic level, and several responsible ministers participate in the collaborative groups linked to each programme. Brief descriptions of the collaborative programmes are given below.

»» Next generation travel and transport: Sweden needs to develop a more transport-efficient society that uses transport in a smarter way and with more resource-efficient vehicles. This collaborative programme includes all forms of travel and adopts an overarching perspective whereby all modes of transport are to work together to meet women’s and men’s travel needs and freight transport needs.

»» Smart cities: A smart city utilises information and communication techno- logies to improve the quality, performance and interactivity of local government services, reduce costs and resource consumption, and improve relations between citizens and government authorities.

»» Circular and bio-based economy: Sweden wants to adopt an integrated approach to resolve food security, the energy issue and the transition to a circular and bio-based economy. This involves new ways to harness the earth’s resources, where sustainable and non-toxic raw material production is fundamental. The aim of this collaborative programme is to jointly concentrate innovation initiatives to increase the share of the bio-based economy and promote circular solutions.

»» Life science: In many areas, Sweden has a high level of knowledge and competence in development and production. There is a high-quality healthcare system to cover all inhabitants, and a tradition of collaboration that needs to increase in order to resolve challenges in the area of health. Collaboration between healthcare, industry and academia is needed in order to develop new innovative medicines, care methods and medical technology for the benefit of society, many of which utilise solutions that take advantage of digital technology.

»» Connected industry and new materials: Stimulating a broad digitalisation of Swedish industry requires a concerted effort in the form of cooperation between actors. In order to promote a development that is characterised by innovation, collaboration is to be strengthened between established industry, IT and telecommunications companies, service providers, young businesses at the forefront of digitalisation and various research environments.

Initiative against antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a cross-border and cross-sectoral threat to human and animal health whose extent is increasing in the world. Antibiotic resistance increases economic costs and has negative consequences for the work with sustainable deve-

82 lopment worldwide. Sweden’s situation regarding the resistance of both humans and animals is relatively good. This is due to the long and active involvement of several different actors, but the situation is affected by a deteriorated global situation.

The Swedish Government has long prioritised the issue of antibiotic resistance, both nationally and internationally. This is partly shown by Sweden’s 2016 strategy for the work against antibiotic resistance, the national security strategy, 50 Govt Bill 2016/17:50. the research bill50, the Policy for Global Development in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda51 and the Policy framework for Swedish development coo- 51 Comm. 2015/16:182. peration and humanitarian aid52. Sweden has been a driving force to get antibiotic resistance on the international agenda and maintains the importance of 52 Comm. 2016/17:60. leadership in the multilateral processes, within the EU and through bilateral contacts and cooperations.

At the international level, important progress has been made in recent years. In 2015, a Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was adopted by the governing bodies of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Orga- nisation for Animal Health and the FAO. A high-level meeting on AMR was held at the UN General Assembly in 2016. The General Assembly adopted a political declaration, which, inter alia, confirms the issue’s importance, existing commitments and the need for further measures within different sectors and levels.

Sweden contributes in several ways to the implementation of the global action plan. One example is that the Public Health Agency of Sweden has been commissioned to support the implementation of the action plan. As part of this work, the WHO established a collaboration centre at the Agency in 2016. The work focuses on resistance surveillance in order to make the problem visible and provide information as a basis for further measures.

Antibiotic resistance must be combated in a cross-sectoral manner. This means that initiatives are needed in many areas, such as human and animal health, the environment, research, education, trade and international development cooperation. Against this background, several Swedish authorities and non-governmental actors are working at different levels and from different angles.

In March 2017, the Government commissioned the Public Health Agency and the Swedish Board of Agriculture to assume joint responsibility for a national collaborative function to promote a cross-sectoral work against antibiotic resistance. Several other authorities were also commissioned to contribute to this work. The commission is to update the current action plan in the area. In addition, there are several other commissions to authorities concerning the work against antibiotic resistance. For example, the Swedish Medical Products Agency has been commissioned to increase environmental consideration in pharmaceutical legislation within the EU and internationally.

83 8 The continued work

The Government looks with confidence on the continued work in Sweden and at the international level to implement the 2030 Agenda and contribute to fulfilling the global goals. Collaboration as well as old and new partnerships between and with many stakeholders in Sweden since 2015 have demonstrated a great commitment and interest in the global agenda and the challenges and the new thinking that the goals and targets give rise to.

New technology and digitalisation are strong driving forces in the development of society. Digitalisation affects the public sector, the private sector and private individuals, and, if properly used, can create conditions for sustainable growth and welfare, reduced inequality and greater gender equality.

The public sector has a responsibility to display leadership locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. It is crucial that all municipalities and county councils participate in the work. The prerequisite for success is also that the broad engagement of the population, especially among its many young people, grows and becomes stronger. Extensive educational initiatives will be needed over time, and this is also a prerequisite for being able to pass the responsibility for leading and implementing the 2030 Agenda between generations.

Schools, the research community, the free media and civil society organisations are important actors for disseminating knowledge about the 2030 Agenda and the global goals, and for challenging and demanding accountability with regard to the Agenda’s implementation.

The private sector and the social partners are particularly important actors and stakeholders for the transition needed in the economy to achieve sustainable production, with a sustainable growth, and also contribute to reduced inequality. To facilitate and drive the sustainability work of companies, the Govern- ment has implemented and will continue to take a series of concrete measures within many policy areas. By leading the transition for sustainable development, Swedish industry also strengthens its international competitiveness.

All societal actors, and all private individuals and households, have a contribution to make, and no one should be left behind. The work to secure Sweden’s international commitments regarding full respect for human rights continues. Special initiatives are needed for vulnerable persons and groups in society. These include children and adults in families living in straitened socio-economic circumstances or in particularly vulnerable areas. Other groups that risk being subjected to discrimination in everyday life, such as people with disabilities, LGBT persons, the Sami, Roma and newly arrived immigrants, might be also

84 be affected by these initiatives. Gender equality is to be promoted in this work.

Sweden has several challenges to take on in various areas, not least nationally.

A cornerstone of the Swedish societal model is a long tradition of cooperation and collaboration, both nationally and internationally. This is a much needed focus for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the global goals. For Sweden, the work to further develop existing partnerships, and to promote and be part of new partnerships, not least of a cross-sectoral nature both in Sweden and internationally, will therefore be an important guiding principle in the coming years.

The Government places great value on its cooperation with the private sector in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Many Swedish companies see the advantages of using the Agenda as a framework for their own planning and are already, on their own initiative, conducting active and ambitious sustainability work. Companies that work systematically with sustainable development are also good examples and role models for other companies. It is also a matter of ensuring that the companies have conditions for being able to contribute to the implementation of the Agenda. Partly on the basis of this foundation, the Go- vernment, in close cooperation with the private sector, wants to encourage more companies to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Cooperation with civil society organisations will continue to be guided by the six principles of dialogue, independence, continuity, openness and transparency, diversity and quality. At dialogue meetings with government representatives in spring 2017, the non-governmental organisations presented a list of opportunities for sustainable development identifying possible partnerships in eight different areas. These are: societal establishment in vulnerable areas; reducing involuntary solitude; public health for all; routes to the labour market; establishment of newly arrived immigrants; preventing violence-promoting extremism; early interventions for asylum seekers; and future healthcare is preven- tative. These proposals are undergoing further consideration at the Government Offices.

Ahead of the high-level meeting, government representatives have also met for dialogue with representatives of the young civil society. The youth movement brings together over 700 000 young people, which bears witness to a strong engagement and to a sense of real power and belief in the future that the movement provides. Through partnerships and holistic solutions, young people bring the 2030 Agenda to life and show that initiatives of the young civil society are particularly important in the work for sustainable development. However, the representatives also point to growing problems of threats and expressions of hatred.

The work with the national environmental objectives continues to develop. The targets of the 2030 Agenda will be a starting point in this work.

The Government has given Sida a role to promote collaboration in Sweden for the 2030 Agenda work. A number of stakeholder platforms or partnerships with a bearing on the Agenda have been created.

85 The proposals in the report of the 2030 Agenda delegation will now be considered. The Government’s ambition is to design an overarching and national action plan for the implementation of the Agenda.

Statistics Sweden’s forthcoming reports in late 2017 – containing proposals and analysis of national indicators for all the 2030 Agenda targets and proposals for a follow-up system – will also be important contributions for the considerations and participation of the Government and all involved actors in the continued work. A particularly interesting and difficult element of the commission of Statistics Sweden is to produce and propose integrated indicators, taking into account the many links between the various goals and targets. Based on the nationally established indicators, it will be necessary to determine which quantitative or qualitative values and goals are to be achieved by 2030. Already existing follow-up systems and specified goals, such as the environmental objectives system, the public health targets and the new welfare metrics, will be harnessed.

The Swedish Government will also continue to be very active at the international level – bilaterally, within the EU and in the UN system – in order to support and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris climate agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development. As previously, the feminist foreign policy and Swedish development cooperation will strive to make a positive impression.

Sweden will remain active in the international follow-up system established for the 2030 Agenda and the global goals. Sweden will also continue to actively follow up, document and report on how the work to implement the Agenda is progressing.

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